Matter of Force Special: Anna and Draco's Kakkoi Adventure
by ContraBardus
Summary: In Matter of Force, a bunch of stuff happened. Now Anna and Draco are off on a most excellent adventure. Occurs during the events of Goblet of Fire. Contains spoilers for A Matter of Force and it should be read up to at least Ch. 45 before starting this side story.
1. Chapter 1

AN: These events take place during the Goblet of Fire time period. There are no spoilers for the main MOF storyline [Which is why there is a month skipped in the beginning of this chapter.]

I'll be writing more once I start the GoF section of the main story. I've still got a way to go in the third year book as the next chapter will involve Halloween and possibly the Christmas Holiday for Harry and his friends, and Anna won't be there. I just wanted to get the basic premise down with this and have a foundation ready to go once I got into the fourth year era.

Anyway, here is a taste of things go come...

A Matter of Force Special!

Part 01

Anna and Malfoy's Kakkoii Adventure.

OooOOooOO

It was the end of August in the year Anna and Draco stood in line wearing Mage robes with round pointed hats on their heads. Anna's robes were a dark green shade, and Malfoy was wearing a medium brown color. They were in front of the Grand Hall looking up at the Headmaster. "Each of you has conquered the challenges put forth to prove yourself worthy of the rank of Mage Magister. I expect all of you to bear the weight and responsibility of this position with honor. Each of you will be receiving an assignment that will appear to you on your diploma upon opening it. I will now read aloud your name, and you will receive your diploma." The old man cleared his throat and grinned. He was much more cheerful than Dumbledore in an odd way, but it was also a bit creepier for some reason. It was as if he was a bit too happy all the time.

Their time at Hogwarts was not wasted, both of them had good grades before the incident got them expelled. A magister license was a bit easier to get, and coupled with their power over the Force, they were able to get through the test for graduation after a bit less than a year of study. The spells magisters used were simpler than Wizarding spells, but tended to be a bit more powerful. A wand was a paintbrush, and a magister's staff was a sledge hammer. Magisters spent much more time learning to control large quantities of energy rather than refining it and trying to use as little as possible to complete a task as wizards did.

That's not to say they ignored conserving power, but the focus was more on having more control over larger quantities of magical energy at once. It was primarily a combat focused training, though they also used magic in other ways. The guild wasn't the same thing as an army, but members were part mercenary, part international police, and part ambassadors. Structure was a lot less informal than a military force as well. It was a job in some ways, but also similar to being a member of a private social club in others.

"Be glad to be out of this place," grumbled Draco. "It was kind of nice I guess. Hogwarts was better."

Anna shushed him. "Save the commentary for after the ceremony. I'm pretty sure he can hear you."

He opened his mouth and closed it. "Whatever." He crossed his arms and pouted a little.

The girl sighed and pushed his shoulder. He blinked and walked up to the small book stand in front of the row of graduates. As the old man called their name, the diploma appeared on the stand. He walked up and picked it up before moving back into the line.

"Anna Potter," called the man, and she passed by her student to get her diploma.

Draco leaned in and looked over her shoulder. "So, where are you assigned?"

She opened it up and looked at it. Her brow scrunched up. "What the hell? This is...stupid."

The blond boy frowned at it as he looked on. "Crap. I was hoping it'd be somewhere else. Japan huh?"

The girl smirked at him with a not quite pleasant look in her eyes. "As if I'd let you escape so easily." Her attention went back to her assignment. "Still, this is just weird. Oh well." She hung her head.

Malfoy chuckled. "Aren't we supposed to be 'letting the Force guide us' or something?"

The girl cringed at that. "Yes. You're right. Still, this is strange. Well, I'm glad I've got Carrot. He may come in handy."

"Your owl? Well, that's convenient isn't it?" The boy narrowed his eyes at her. It was obvious he had no idea why that made any sense.

"I suppose it is. Huh." She slapped him on his chest and turned away. "Well, I'll be seeing you next month. We've got a month off. Don't forget everything I taught you because your family is..."

"Watch it," interrupted the boy as he watched her walk away. Her parents were there to pick her up and bring her home. Harry wasn't with them he noticed. "I suppose she did kill him." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a Portkey his father had given him. Neither of his parents had bothered to attend his graduation. He was considered as something of a black sheep within the family now. Mages weren't despised by Wizards, but he doubted his parents would be bragging about his occupation to their friends. It wasn't something they would be looked down on for though. "I suppose I should go home myself then."

OooOOooOO

It was two days until the end of September, Anna had taken a month to be with her family over the summer and was now off to begin her duties with the Guild. She was standing in an airport awaiting her flight to Japan. Using Portkeys and Apparition to travel out of the borders of the British territories was illegal. It would allow wizards to bypass customs and there were measures in place to prevent it. Japan was not unfriendly, but most countries were like that and had seals along their borders to prevent such travel. The Americas were no different, though it was easier as travel to Canada in such a manner was easily done. It was a short hop into the country from there and such travel within the country's borders was quite legal. It wasn't a huge deal, Wizarding flights were shorter and a lot more comfortable than Muggle airlines.

Lily looked worried. "A Magister Mage? Really?" She'd still not gotten her head around the idea.

James looked a bit nervous as well. "I was expecting this to take a bit longer. You didn't even attend the full year."

The redhead shrugged. "I was here for most of the year. It suits me. My powers give me an advantage with this kind of magic it seems." She cocked her head a little. "I was a little surprised at how much wandless magic was involved. It sounded like it was a lot more unusual than it is." She hadn't needed to bother with potions at the school due to her already impressive credentials. During her time there she had managed to gain a degree in Mystic Seals and Barriers as well. They were often used in potions and she knew a fair bit about them from her studies at Hogwarts.

Her father shrugged. "Wizards use incantations as well, but they are much shorter because of how we use wands as a medium. It's safer, uses less magic, takes less time, and allows for more mobility. There were many Mages involved with the last several Wizarding wars on both sides of the conflicts. I'm sure you've noticed the differences in both types of casting, and how they are used. Magister Mages aren't much for subtlety, and usually don't use magic to accomplish small tasks or menial labor. To a Mage, magic is more of a weapon than a tool. Though, that doesn't mean they can't or don't ever..."

Her daughter was grinning at him as he lost steam as he spoke. "I know, Daddy. I am a licensed Mage after all now. I've noticed it's a bit different than what we learned at Hogwarts. I've got a staff of my own now, and I'm aware it's a bit different than a wand."

Her mother nodded. "Yes. Mages were used similar to how Muggles use artillery in warfare. A few made names for themselves as strong fighters, but the nature of their magic kept most of them from the front lines for the most part. I'm a bit surprised at this. You could have finished up Wizarding school with the other children in the neighborhood." It was a point of worry for her. Mages weren't like normal wizards, they pledged themselves to service into the Guild.

It was a sort of magical version of the U.N. It was a bit more relaxed than being a soldier, but it was something of a military force of it's own. In exchange for service, Mages were able to use magic where wizards could not. The Guild offered protection from Wizarding law regarding certain things and had it's own guidelines about magic use. Most of it had to do with interactions with Muggles, and the Guild and the Ministry accepted each other as allies. The Guild was a global entity, where as the Ministry of Magic only had jurisdiction in the British territories.

Her daughter nodded. "Yes. I know. I have my reasons for this."

"What might they be?" asked her mother. She didn't seem upset or surprised.

The girl shrugged. "It's a pain. Even though I've graduated, I've still got an internship to complete." She sighed. "I need to be away from here for a time. I need to clear my head. That's part of why they send us off this way I think. To get us away from what is familiar so we can understand what being a Mage really is."

Her mother arched her eyebrow. "Clear your head?"

James frowned. "One of my father's friends was a Mage. It isn't an easy life. You'll be a member of the Guild Anna. It's not something you can turn away from easily, and you will..."

The girl looked up at him and smiled warmly. "I know. I believe that those with great power, also have great responsibility. I intended to use my power to help not just our own kind, but all people and races of this world. By joining the Mage's Guild, I'll not only have a license to do so, but it will also be my job. Something that is expected of me. I'm looking forward to it, and I believe such an environment will be good for me and my new student. In many ways, being a Mage will grant me more freedom than being a wizard would. Though, it does have restrictions of its own as well."

Her father seemed a bit surprised. "I have no idea what to say to that."

Her mother gave a sigh. "I'll worry. I'm glad to see you seem to have thought this through at least. I still don't care much for it." The Guild had no rules about age restrictions on binding contracts. Once her daughter had signed herself over there was nothing either of her parents could do, despite Wizarding laws that prevented minors from taking such oaths. Anna was now living under a different set of rules than the rest of her family and had restricted their legal control as parents with what she had done. Her parents worried that she hadn't quite realized that yet as well as for her safety and well being. Mages used magic to benefit the Muggles as part of their duties, but they were also warriors traditionally, where as Wizarding was seen as a more scholarly pursuit. It was more similar to seeing their daughter graduate Basic Combat Training or Boot Camp than a school graduation ceremony.

Ivy was sitting on her father's shoulders and slapping around his head as she looked around and smiled. She was drooling a bit and had a curly patch of brown hair on top of her head.

Anna was having a hard time keeping her grin subdued at the sight of it. She turned her head and looked over at Malfoy. He was standing with his father and talking with him. His mother hadn't come.

Lucius hadn't smiled, but spoke to his son in an even and calm tone. The man wasn't exactly happy, but didn't seem upset with his son. "I can see you've made your decision. A Magister Mage. It's suitable I suppose. It will keep you out of England so you can't cause trouble for a time." The man looked stern, but not upset. "Your mother is beside herself, you and that girl. I can't promise you'll be welcome when you return. We'll be keeping an eye on the situation."

Draco smirked at him. "Yes."

The man grunted. "That's all?"

He looked up at the man. "I hate it when you make it sound like I'm marrying her. She's teaching me how to do what she does. You do understand that?"

The man nodded. "I may regret allowing it."

His son shook his head. "You couldn't have stopped her. Do you remember how we got expelled from Hogwarts? She doesn't need to be near me to teach me you know. It's just more convenient."

The man's eyes grew wide. "What? She..."

The boy gave a small sigh and put up his hand. The man went quiet but looked wary. "Don't mess with her. I'm fine, better than every actually. She's too much for you. I want to learn, so one day I can be like that. I want to be better than Harry Potter. With her, I can be. Without her, I'll never be."

His father glanced over at her. "Be careful who you choose as your friends, Draco. You may find being around her more dangerous than you imagine. Don't forget what's important."

The boy simply nodded. "I'm aware of the danger, and I don't think I will forget what's important. Besides, I've explained this before, we're not 'friends'."

Lucius nodded once. "Very well." He continued on his way and left his son standing in the terminal.

The young blond didn't seem bothered by it and glanced over at the redhead before walking over towards her and her family.

OooOOooOO

"I wish Harry was here," commented Lily.

"They started the term a little earlier this year." James scratched his head.

"Really?" Anna cocked her head. "Why?"

"Something to do with some sort of school wide nervous breakdown before the Christmas holidays last year," commented her mother as she frowned at the girl and crossed her arms.

Her father nodded in agreement and looked quite serious. "Yes. They decided to start a bit sooner this year because the semester has been extended for the past two years. You were involved with that as well as I recall."

The redhead blushed and took a step back. "Oh. Right." She pushed her head down a little. "I got better..."

"That's debatable," commented Draco from behind her.

"Oh, hello." The girl's mother looked a bit wary of him. "Draco."

He looked quite serious as he responded to her greeting. "I'm arrogant and bone headed according to your daughter. Not as bad as my Father I'm guessing."

James was reserved but seemed amused by the comment. "Well, I suppose I can't argue with that. You know we don't get along well." He glanced in the direction Lucius had gone.

The girl frowned at the two adults while her sister cooed and laughed on top of her father's head. "Anna!" she screeched and reached for the redhead. The man handed her off and the girl swung her in her arms for a moment and smiled. "I'm not dating him, he's my student. Cut it out would you?"

"Yech." He took out what looked like a tarot card and looked at it with a small scowl. "This thing is nice, but it wasn't worth the price."

"Wasn't exactly rainbows and sunshine for me either, so shut it." She elbowed him in the ribs lightly.

Her mother gasped. "Th-that card!"

Her father grabbed the blonde boy by his shoulder and pulled him up next to his side while looking down at him with a scowl on his face. "What are your intentions with my daughter?"

Anna put her face in her hand. "I'm not going out with him. Really. I'm not."

Draco narrowed his eyes at the man. "That's sick. You do know she basically turned me into her evil slave minion and got me into this mess in the first place. I didn't have much choice about tagging along with her on this little jaunt either. I mean, it's better now, but I'm kinda not over that whole mess just yet. I doubt I ever will be." He looked at her and narrowed his eyes. "Nothing personal, but marrying her would be rather unpleasant for both of us I think."

The man straightened up and slapped him on the shoulder. "Fair enough."

Lily glared at him. "James, really."

Anna felt a bit better about with the light tone the conversation had taken. It was obvious her father was only teasing the both of them a little. "Well, are you going to see us off then?" She smiled at her parents and cocked her head.

"You have no idea how worried I am," replied her mother with a straight face.

"Well, it is a license," commented her father. "Not a Wizarding license, but..."

"Yes. It allows for the use of any magic," grumbled her mother. "Don't forget you're still on an internship and not a full Mage yet. So even for you there are still some restrictions."

"Not in Japan," replied the girl. "They're an unrestricted country if you recall. As long as I don't broadcast the existence of magic to the Muggles, I can do as I please."

Both parents seemed to freeze in place.

"You can't go," said her Father.

"You're coming home with us," agreed her mother.

Anna sighed and glowered at them. "You can't stop me. I had to sign a contract when I enrolled here. I have at least one year of internship to become a full Mage, and I can't get out of it. It's an unbreakable oath." The redhead took a step back at the expression on her parents' faces. "Crap."

OooOOooOO

Draco gave a small sigh as he tried his best to not grin. They were on a trolley car that was moving through a Japanese town on rails in the street. He had a single red mark running down the side of his face. Some of the skin had come off, but it wasn't a deep or serious wound. It was about two days old at that point, but the memory of how he got it was still amusing him. Anna was beside him with a serious expression on her face. He rubbed at his chin and winced. "It still stings a bit."

"Get over it," grumbled the girl.

"Your mother scratched me in the face," he frowned at her.

"I don't want to talk about it," she groused as she sulked a bit more.

"They had to pull them off of you and sneak you away." He chuckled. "I believe it was 'for the sake of Japan'."

She gave a small sigh and decided to ignore him. "Japan is nice I guess. Might be good for us to take in the culture."

"Seriously?" asked a young boy with glasses on his face. He had his hair tied back in a short ponytail, and was a few years younger than either of them. On his back was a full pack with a gnarled wooden staff strapped to it with bandages wrapped around it.

Draco nodded and looked at him. "Yes. Quite a scene. 'No! She can't go! She's not safe! Japan could be destroyed!' I was a bit embarrassed actually, but it's not so bad thinking back about it now."

"It's a bit crowded don't you think?" Anna was trying to steer the conversation in a different direction.

The boy with them was polite enough to go along with it. "I'll say. I wasn't expecting so many people."

"What are you doing here anyway?" asked Draco. "I remember seeing you around school, but we never talked."

The boy was quite cheerful. "Oh. Right. Negi Springfield, I'm here to teach English."

"Draco Malfoy, I'm with her. I was assigned to be her assistant in class." He jerked his thumb at the redhead.

Anna turned her head to look at them. "I figured I was a bit young to get this assignment. They're sending you here to teach?" She was starting to wonder who the hell was making these decisions.

Negi nodded. "Yes. That's right. I think we'll do all right."

Draco nodded. "We'll be fine. I'm sure of it."

Anna wanted to slap him. He was clearly trying to annoy her. "You know I'm going to get you for this later."

"I'll endure I'm sure," replied the blond boy. In his opinion, it was worth a bit of extra work in training.

The redhead nodded towards the doors. "Come on, we're here."

Negi walked up next to her. "Who are you?" They were slowing to a stop. Everyone on the trolley was tensing up as if getting ready to start a race.

The girl blinked. "Oh. The glasses, right. Sorry." She had on her disguise glasses and lifted them over her eyes with her finger as she leaned in and whispered to him. "Anna Potter, nice to meet you. I'm teaching Science class here."

The boy's eyes got wide. "You're...!"

She put her hand over his mouth. "Shhhh. Not so loud. I've got to be in disguise. It will draw all sorts of attention. While we're here at Mahora, you'll have to call me Li'l Washuu." She gave him a wink and smiled.

The boy worked his mouth a few times and nodded. "You're not Japanese. That's a bit of a strange name." He was clearly flustered and a bit starstruck.

"Negi isn't a bit odd? Doesn't sound Welsh to me," commented Draco.

The boy blushed a bit more. "Well, my mother wasn't Welsh."

The redhead tapped her glasses. "Actually, to everyone else, I am. A Japanese version of myself. You knew I was foreign when we met, so the glasses fit that perception for you. I'm going to have to brew up a way to keep the disguise without them. I don't like relying on enchanted objects too much. Shouldn't pose any problems once I've had a chance to settle in." They exited the train car in a rush along with everyone else and found themselves running with the crowd just to keep from being trampled.

Draco frowned at her. "She's famous enough it could get annoying if anyone finds out she's here."

Two girls had moved up beside them in a bit of a hurry. They paused and were talking about something together. Anna noted that Negi was keeping up pretty well. It wasn't that surprising as Magisters were required to endure physical training as well. It helped with controlling the amount of energy some Magister spells used. They also used enchantments to provide boosts to their physical performance. The boy was in good shape, but no more than a normal boy with an active lifestyle would be. Negi took note of a pair of schoolgirls beside his group and spoke to them.

"Excuse me, your love will be unrequited." The boy smiled at them.

One of the girls whipped around to face him. Her hair was in two long ponytails and she locked eyes with him. "What did you say, you brat?"

Anna paused with Draco at her side and looked on. "Hey..."

Negi looked a little nervous. "Well, you were talking about fortunes."

The girl growled at him. "I didn't ask for a fortune!" She put her hand on his head and lifted him by his skull. "You take that back!"

The girl wasn't sure what happened after that. Her weight shifted and the boy was gone, without warning she was looking at the sidewalk with her wrist in an arm lock. "I suggest you keep your hands to yourself. He's got friends with him."

"I guess," grumbled a male voice. "Let her go. We don't have time for this. We'll be late."

The schoolgirl gasped as her hand was freed and she whirled around. "Huh? Who the?" She was clearly angry, but noticed her friend looked rather dazed.

"Wow!" The other girl had long dark hair and a cheerful expression. She seemed to have a bit of a sparkle in her eyes.

"Huh? What's with you?" asked her clearly more athletic friend. Her head turned and she noticed a tall blond boy looking them over with his arms crossed. "Who the hell are you?" She was not amused.

Draco glanced at her. "I'm not so sure I want to be associated with this group." He had no idea that is upper torso had a fuzzy outline and magical sparkles around it from one look, and a growing red haze around it from the other.

"Hey, over here sunshine," commented a female voice. The tomboy turned to notice the redhead in glasses.

"You. I..." She started to roll up her sleeves and move forward.

Her friend grabbed the back of her shirt. "No! You'll get in trouble, and we've got to find..."

The first girl continued to push forward. "You expect me to let this brat just get away with..."

Anna pulled out a tarot card and flipped it around to show her. It was an arrow piercing an apple on a man's palm, and his heart as well. "He's right you know, unrequited love. The cards are quite clear about that."

"Student's shouldn't fight!" cried the girl holding back her enraged friend.

Anna cocked her head and gave a sunny smile. "Student? Don't be silly. I'm the new Science Teacher. You can call me Li'l Washuu."

"What? You expect me to believe that? I'm gonna..." started the angry girl. "What kind of Science teacher reads fortunes anyway?"

"Ah! Negi! Mr. Malfoy! Miss Washuu! There you are!" called a voice from above. "It's been a while, Negi!"

A man was hanging out the window a floor above them with a cigarette hanging from his lips. He had a cheerful smile on his face and waved to them.

The girl who was upset with them whirled around with a look of shock on her face. "Takahata!"

"Takamichi! It's been a while!" called the young boy as he waved back.

The angry girl turned towards Negi. "W-wait a minute! You're a teacher?"

The redhead smirked at her. "Both of us are. Hello, we've not met." She smiled at the man as he emerged from the building.

"Yes. A pleasure, I am Takahata Takamichi." He was handsome, and a bit scruffy looking. His clothes were a little sloppy and he had a cigarette hanging from his lips. He didn't look disheveled so much as relaxed.

The girl shook his hand with a cheerful look about her. "I'm Washuu, nice to meet you." Draco remained silent and gave him a handshake in greeting as well.

The dark haired girl put her finger to her lip and looked rather dazed. "I'm confused."

"I'm annoyed," grumbled Malfoy. "I take it this is where we're supposed to be?"

"I hate kids! Especially fleas like this one!" cried the angry girl as she glowered at Negi. "No way I'll ever call this brat a teacher!" She pointed her finger at Anna.

"You know. We're supposed to be impartial, but you should remember that the courses the two of us teach are required for graduation." Anna stepped forward and smiled at the girl. "Perhaps you should reconsider your position?"

The girl froze and blinked. "Wh-what?" Her head whipped back and fourth. "I-I can't accept this! Wait, I've got..." She grinned and balled up her fist as she looked at Takamichi.

"It seems that from this day forward he'll be taking class A instead of me. Miss Washuu will be taking over for Mr. Ashio with her assistant Mr. Malfoy." The man smiled at the two young teachers.

"What? You've got to be kidding! I don't want him! Just a little while ago he was saying my lov...er, something really rude to me, and this girl..." The pony-tailed girl looked a bit panicked.

Draco gave a small sigh. "Doesn't know when to shut up does she?"

Anna narrowed her eyes at him. "Who are you to talk?" She glanced at the girl. "It's not like you've got any choice anyway. None of us has any say in staffing decisions to begin with. You're really starting off on a bad foot with two of your teachers you know. I won't have you for homeroom, but you'll be visiting my lab sooner or later."

Draco nodded. "She's a very strict teacher. Trust me on that one."

The pony-tailed girl frowned at him. "Like I care. I don't care if she is a teacher, I can take her any time."

Anna frowned a bit. "You're lucky I'm not allowed to fight students." The bratty redhead was getting on her nerves.

"Master," muttered Malfoy under his breath.

Anna gave him a fast glance and nodded. "Right. I suppose we shouldn't keep the Headmaster waiting."

The angry girl was a bit surprised by that statement. "W...wait. We're supposed to bring you." She flushed and looked away. "I was expecting some older guy," she muttered under her breath.

Her friend smiled and gave a shy glance towards Malfoy. "This is better, don't you think?"

"No," growled her friend. She imagined a handsome and rugged teacher standing with Takamichi. Neither one of the was wearing a shirt and they were leaning against each other panting for breath after a close volleyball match. The dream cracked and shattered.

Anna nodded as she walked behind the girl. "I see." It seemed she had a crush on the man with them. "I suppose I should go a bit easy on her then."

"Huh?" muttered Malfoy as he seemed to shake himself out of a daze.

"It's nothing, don't worry about it." The redhead looked back over her shoulder at the school grounds.

Draco looked up at the entrance to the place and frowned a little. "I've got a bad feeling about this place."

"I doubt it will be boring," said Anna with a nod as she walked in with the others. "Stay on guard."

OooOOooOO

The group found themselves standing before an old bald man sitting behind a large wooden desk. He was pleased to see them and smiled at the young Mages. "Ah, you've arrived."

Anna smirked. "Heh. He's strong."

The angry girl and her friend were standing next to the group. Negi just smiled and looked interested in what was going on.

The girl in ponytails whirled around to face her. "Are you kidding? He's..."

"Now, Asuna dear. You're not going to go and say something rude in front of an old man are you?" The principal seemed amused. "She's actually quite smart you know. She's the top mind in her field."

"Field? What, she's good at soccer?" grumbled the girl as she crossed her arms and turned up her nose.

"Engineering," commented Anna. She blinked, that had not come out as intended. She had meant to say Chemistry. "I'm a pretty good chemist too. I guess you could say..." She got a dark smile on her face. "That I'm..."

"Not this again," Malfoy put his face in his hand.

"...The Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe! Li'l Washuu!" Her two puppets appeared on her shoulders as she laughed madly out loud.

Negi cringed and shrank back a little. He leaned towards Draco. "Isn't she over doing it a bit?"

The boy shrugged. "You get used to it."

Asuna was staring at her with wide eyes. "She's a complete idiot!"

"No argument here," commented Draco as he turned his head away.

Anna cringed a bit as she realized the look everyone was giving her. "What? I've got this covered easy. No problem."

"Ahem." The old man behind the desk spoke up. "Very well. The three of you realize that there are no second chances here. If it is too hard you must return home. Training as a teacher in Japan will be more difficult than you think. You'll need practical experience, let's make it from today to March."

Anna smirked. "Huh. I won't complain, the three of us should be able to handle a group of middle school girls."

Draco looked confident as well. "I've lasted this long, I don't think it will be a problem."

Negi gave a serious nod. "Yes, I accept."

The old man smiled at the two young boys in the room and didn't seem to be speaking directly to either one of them. "Do you have a girlfriend? Have you met my granddaughter?"

The dark haired girl was about to hit him over the head with a very large wooden mallet, but noticed Draco looking at her and stopped. She backed off and hid it behind her back with a blush on her face.

"I think it's a cultural thing," commented Anna to his unasked question.

"Well then, it's settled. We'll start today. Let me introduce you to our staff Guidance Officer Shizuna," said the old man as he stood up and leaned over his desk a bit.

Negi turned and found his entire head enveloped by a pair of very large breasts.

Anna looked at the scene and snorted. "Wow. His first day in Japan, and he's already that lucky?"

Draco arched his eyebrow. She was a very pretty woman with long blond hair and a pair of glasses resting on the middle of the bridge of her nose. "Not bad I guess."

The woman blushed. "I'm terribly sorry." She narrowed her eyes at the girl a bit.

The old man smiled and looked over at the two girls who had brought them. "Konoka, Asuna, can Negi, Washuu, and Draco stay in your room for a while? We haven't decided where to put them yet."

Anna stepped forward. "I have arrangements already." She cocked her head. "Are you serious though? You want a kid that age to stay in a girl's dorm?"

Draco seemed confused. "It's not like he's gotten pubes yet."

Negi blushed. "Well, I'm still...young..." He poked his fingers together and looked very embarrassed.

"I'm not so sure I'm entirely comfortable with that. They'll treat this spineless weakling like a doll. Look at him, he's got no will to resist much of anything." Anna pointed at the boy behind her. "Those girls will eat him alive."

Negi seemed frozen in place and had his head hung. He was torn between being embarrassed and realizing that she was probably right about him. "I'll do my best." He managed to mutter as he lifted his head.

"He could stay with us," commented Draco.

Anna seemed to freeze in place. "I...urk. I guess I was asking for that. Yeah. He'll be fine with us, we can come here together. My place is only a few blocks from here. We've got plenty of room."

Negi seemed to brighten up. "Really?"

The old man shook his head. "I'm afraid that given his age we are required to house him with the students. I'm sure we can arrange something on campus soon enough, but until then he'll have to stay in the dorms. He's still too young, and you are not old enough to be his guardian. The only reason you are not required to stay here, is because you are the same age as the students, and as a teacher we feel you should be afforded more liberal housing opportunities. Honestly, I would agree with what your face is telling me. He is old enough to reach this level of his training, and we should treat him as such. However, legally, I cannot simply leave him on his own without supervision. It is a gray area even concerning you and your assistant given your age."

Anna sighed. "I live on campus. I said it's just a few blocks from here, to the east. I rented a flat there where some of the college students stay."

Takamichi chuckled and nodded. "It's expensive, but don't forget who she is."

The old man nodded. "Yes. I see. Asuna dear, please look after Negi. I'm entrusting his care to you and my granddaughter."

Asuna jerked upright. "What? You heard her! Why are we still stuck with him?"

Anna cocked her eyebrow. The old man seemed to want to get those two together for some reason. She was sure that it wasn't his granddaughter, he was including her to cover it up. He didn't seem to care that it was poorly done on his part. "Well, I tried kid." She slapped him on his shoulder. "Looks like you're stuck with the cute granddaughter and Attila the Student here."

The girl spun on her heels and pointed at her. "What did you say? We're the same age! I'll..."

"Ahem," the old man coughed in his hand.

Asuna stopped talking and narrowed her eyes. "This isn't over you know."

Anna smiled. "I know, I've got you for the next three terms in my class, and you can bet I'll be patrolling the dorms and halls. I'll be taking shifts just like any other teacher."

Takamichi chuckled at that. "She's right you know."

"If you'll just follow me," said the Guidance Officer. Anna noted she was being a bit cold with her.

"You seem to have upset her," commented Draco as he moved up beside her. He looked half interested as usual.

"I guess I got carried away. That girl is annoying me." Anna glanced over at Asuna, who was walking with Konoka behind the rest of the group.

Malfoy rolled his eyes. "You don't say."

Asuna looked annoyed and spoke up. "I refuse to live with someone like you. Go get a sleeping bag or some..."

"As I recall, you don't have much say in the matter. Even if he won't speak up about it, I will. You shouldn't be so rude to a guest. It's his first time in this country, and he's very young. I suggest you accept your fate, because I'm not going to stand for such poor treatment from someone like you." Anna frowned at her and crossed her arms. "You'll put up with him on your own, or I'll force you to. I have the authority to do just that as a teacher as well. You're not kicking him onto the street."

Negi looked a bit put off. "Now, there's no need..."

The redheaded teacher crossed her arms. "Yes there is. The old man entrusted her with this. I doubt he'll be pleased to find out she's trying to dump you off."

Asuna gasped and stomped her foot as she growled at her. "We're going on ahead." She took Konoka by the hand and pulled her along with her. The dark haired girl waved at them as she was dragged to the class.

"What's with her?" asked Negi.

"Yeah. What a brat," commented Anna. She looked at Malfoy. "Not one word."

The woman smiled at Negi. "She's always rowdy, but a very nice girl."

Draco snorted. "Where have I heard that bef..." He leaned forward and ended up rubbing on his belly as Anna put her elbow into it.

Shizuna looked over at the blond boy and smiled lightly. "Oh. I see. A lot alike are they?"

"Seems like it so far," commented Draco as he put his hands behind his head and looked cocky about it. "Kind of creepy actually."

Anna seethed for a moment, but kept her mouth shut. "Can we just get to where we're going?"

Shizuna nodded. "Yes. We've arrived. Negi, this is your classroom. You'll be all right teaching?"

The boy looked a bit pensive. "I'm a bit nervous...actually...I..."

Anna gave a snort. "Well, they can smell fear you know. You've got to be firm and direct, don't show any weakness, or they will exploit it."

Draco scratched his head as he peered through the window. "It's a classroom full of teenage girls, not tigers."

The redhead chuckled. "I expect he'd have an easier time with a room full of tigers." She slapped his shoulder. "Just relax. You'll be fine...I think."

Negi was shaking a bit. "You're not helping much, please stop."

The girl shrugged and looked through the window. "Do you have any doubt that you couldn't kick the ass of anything in that room? I mean, seriously. You're a Magister Mage, and it's a bunch of Jr. High School girls."

The boy's eyes went wide. "I couldn't! I mean..."

"Yeah, but you could. I'm not saying that you should, but if worse came to worse, you're pretty sure you'd win, right?" Anna shook his arm a little.

Negi looked embarrassed and blushed. "Um, I suppose so. When you put it like that..."

The girl nodded and looked sure of herself. "Well, what's the big deal then? It's not like it's dangerous. Even though you don't look it, you'll pretty much be the baddest mother f..."

"Ahem," Shizuna coughed into her hand.

Anna stopped and shrugged. "You get the point anyway."

Negi grinned at her. "You're right, Miss Washuu!"

Anna's hands struck like cobras and she pulled at his cheeks and leaned over him. "What was that?"

The boy was very nervous as he found his face being pinched. It wasn't painful, but it was also quite clear that it could become painful quite easily. "Um, Li'l Washuu..."

Anna tugged a little harder. "Yes?"

Negi had gone a little pale. "Li'l Washuu, the Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe."

The girl released him. "Well, I suppose you'll be fine then."

Draco hung his head. "You're sick, you know that right?"

Negi blinked as Shizuna handed him a small ledger. "This is the class roll."

"Ah!" he brightened up and opened it up to have a look. "Well, it doesn't look so bad. I guess I'll get started then." He opened the door and walked into the classroom. The boy didn't notice the hand grab the eraser that almost hit his head from behind him, or the foot that stepped on the small tripwire and lowered it enough for him to clear it. He walked to the front of the room and noticed everyone was sitting and staring at him with wide eyes and slacked jaws. "Er...hello?"

Anna was behind him with a scowl on her face. She had a handful of arrows with suction cup tips, and a bucket in her arms that was filled with water, and there wasn't a single drop on the floor. Miss Shizuna had her hand over her mouth and arched her eyebrow a little at the sight of it.

Draco was beside her and snorted as he crossed his arms. "You get used to it."

The woman nodded and smiled at him. "I think I see what you mean about her and Asuna."

He nodded and frowned a little. "Yeah. Kind of annoying really."

Anna set the bucket down on the floor in front of the desk and slapped the arrows on top of it. "All right, listen up. I'm Washuu, the new Science Teacher, but you can call me Li'l Washuu." The look she gave them was enough to get across that it wasn't really a request. "This is Negi, your new English and home room teacher. I wanna make something perfectly clear right now. We're both teachers, you'd better remember that, or you'll answer to me. He's spineless, but I guarantee I'll have your asses in detention if I hear one single thing about you pushing him around or toying with him. Got it?"

There was a long silence and Negi scratched the back of his head. "Um, thanks."

Finally, the girls seemed to snap out of it. "Wow! He's so cute!"

They crowded around the pair and fawned over the boy while barraging him with questions. "How old are you? Where are you from? Who is this brat anyway, is she your sister or something?"

Anna growled and a moment later the class was collectively scowling at her back in their seats while rubbing their heads in irritation. The redhead had a large paper fan that was bent across the middle hanging from her hand as she stood with her arms crossed. "Keep your hands to yourselves you brats. He's not a puppy, he's a teacher. You do not get to fondle him, in fact, don't touch him at all. I meant what I said and you'd better not forget it."

She glanced back at the room and smirked. It was one large collective scowl. "Heh. I'll see you all in my lab third period. I kind of hope you don't listen. I take care of my own detention, and I wouldn't mind having a Guinea Pig or two for some of my experiments."

Asuna looked at the girl next to her. "She can't do that...right?" Her name was Yue, and she looked to be kind of quiet and a bit lazy.

Her classmate shrugged. "I don't know. I'd rather not find out." She was sucking on a juice box that the label claimed contained a Chocolate Seaweed Papaya drink.

The girl on Asuna's other side had a frown on her face and her fist was balled up. It was very unusual for her and Asuna took notice. "Hey, Ku Fei, what's with you?"

She glanced over at her as the hardened expression faded. "That girl. I want to fight her."

The pony-tailed girl nodded. "Yeah, she pisses me off too. That brat. There's got to be a way to get rid of her."

"Huh? Get rid of her? Why?" Ku Fei smiled again.

Yue looked confused. "Huh? But you just said..."

"She's very strong." The foreign girl gave them the sunny smile they were used to. "I will challenge her."

"You there, the brute in the back, please restrain your mouth. We're trying to have a lesson." A girl with long blond hair stood up from her seat and brushed her locks with her fingers. "Please, continue with homeroom, Negi. I heard you are a genius who graduated from Oxford. Teaching has nothing to do with age."

Asuna stood up. "What did you say?"

"Er, thanks," muttered the boy. He remembered her name from the roll. It was Yukihiro Ayaka, and she was the class President. Asuna rushed up and grabbed the girl by her shoulders, and the Class President did the same in response.

Both girls stopped and started rubbing at their heads as if something had hit them. Anna was leaning against the blackboard with a piece of broken chalk in her fist with her thumb resting on the broken end. "Shut up and sit down both of you." She glanced at the blond girl. "No one likes a kiss ass you know."

"You got that right, and she's a shotakon too," grumbled Asuna out loud.

"What? How dare you!" growled the blond as she started to rise from her seat. Her head tilted a little and she sat back down giving the red haired science teacher a glare as she rubbed at her scalp.

"I said shut it, both of you. I'll be seeing you later, and I'll be speaking with Negi about how this class went before then. So remember what I said. He's spineless dealing with women you know, I can get him to talk no problem. Even if he doesn't really want to tell me." Anna turned and walked by the guidance officer and into the hall with Malfoy in tow.

Draco scowled over his shoulder at the room. "Well, you're making sure we're popular right away. They'll probably try to drive us off."

Anna smirked and kept her gaze forward. "Let them try. I want this to go smoothly, and it will be easier if I'm firm with them from the start. They'll get used to it, and we'll have an easier time dealing with them if they know not to screw around with me. I can relax my guard a bit once they know I'm not to be toyed with. They'll start behaving when I'm around on their own once they know I'll reign them in on a moment's notice."

Malfoy nodded. "Yes. That sounds like Professor Snape."

The girl shrugged. "I was his apprentice. I'm a bit more lax than he is though."

The woman with them seemed to think on that. "Ah, I see. That's your teaching methodology. You're a disciplinarian."

The young teacher nodded. "I'm not cruel, but I expect them to learn. I'll make sure they do. I do not intend to fail here. As the old man said, there are no second chances."

Draco looked up at the door in front of them. "So, this is it then?"

Anna looked up at their guide as she was handed the class role. "Thank you, I'll take it from here. I think it will be better if I take control and introduce myself on my own."

The woman seemed surprised. "Very well, I'll be out here for a bit if you need me. The headmaster asked I make sure things go smoothly."

The girl smiled. "I understand, feel free to leave once you are satisfied. I doubt I'll need assistance." She opened the door and walked in.

A group of rather dazed looking girls looked on as the pair walked into the room. There were no traps or tricks this time, and the room was pretty quiet.

"Um, who are you?" asked a girl with long dark hair as she stood up. "Are you a new student? The teacher hasn't arrived yet..." She trailed off as the boy walked in behind her and stood there looking at him for a moment before shaking herself out of it. She looked like she was about to ask a question, but couldn't seem to get it out.

Anna was standing in front of the whole room, and the rest of the girls seemed curious and confused. They started to mutter amongst themselves and many were taking note of Draco. "Who is that? He can't be a student, this is a girl's school. He's cute though! Wai! A babe!"

The young redhead coughed into her hand. "Pipe down will ya? I'm Li'l Washuu, and this is my Assistant Mr. Malfoy. For the next three terms, I'll be teaching Science here at Mahora."

"Wh-what?" muttered the dark haired girl in confusion. The rest of the class followed her lead. The girls all looked towards Draco and then back at the redhead, and then back at Draco again. It was not something they didn't take well hearing that the cute and strong looking boy with blond hair and blue eyes was hanging around. He looked so aloof, so cool and collected, yet he also had that 'I'm trouble' vibe about him. No, that didn't sound bad at all.

The girl grinned at them and spoke in a tone just above a whisper. It carried across the silent room and everyone heard her clearly. "I'll warn you, I'm strict. Don't expect me to put up with any foolishness in my class. The experiments we'll be conducting can be dangerous if you're not paying attention, so I won't tolerate any horseplay. Now, I'm going to take roll, and then we'll start Homeroom. Pay attention and do as you're told, and you'll be just fine. I'm not someone to be crossed."

"Next you'll be telling me how perfectly I've roasted my slugs," commented Malfoy as he turned his head and stood behind her with his arms crossed.

The girl ignored him and walked behind the teacher's desk. The students looked a bit bemused, but sat at their desks without questioning it further. No one was sure what to make of this girl or her claim that she was teaching. It seemed to dawn on them a bit at a time that they were indeed taking a class taught by a girl their own age.

After she took roll, a girl near the back of the class raised her hand. Anna noticed and called on her. "Yes, Miss Akayami?"

"Um, how did you...become a teacher? You look about the same age as the rest of us." She seemed a bit nervous asking.

Anna cocked her head. "Fair enough. I graduated from Oxford with the new English Teacher for class 2-A." Her records now backed this statement. "I'm the Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe, Li'l Washuu!" She pointed her finger in the air and her two puppets appeared on her shoulders praising her and tossing confetti about.

Draco ignored it and looked a bit lazy eyed. He yawned and stretched his back.

"What about Mr. Malfoy?" asked another girl as she raised her hand. She very much looked like she wanted to change the subject very quickly. The rest of the class seemed of a similar mindset at the display from their new instructor.

"I graduated with her. We were in the same class," he responded on his own.

Anna nodded. "That's right. He's my...intern. He'll be assisting me for the duration of my stay here at Mahora."

The girls read into that statement a bit more than they should have. "Aw man, he's taken. What a shame. Lucky brat."

Anna was annoyed, but refrained from comment.

Draco wasn't standing for it. "She's not my girlfriend you know, we just work together." It didn't take him long to realize that he might have been better off keeping his mouth shut. Almost the whole room turned to face him at once. The boy could feel something from them that almost felt like hunger. "Huh?"

Anna opened the textbook on her desk. "Should have kept your mouth shut." She looked up at the class. "All right, Homeroom is over. It seems I've got this group for the first period of the day as well. Everyone open your books to page thirteen and we'll begin."

OooOOooOO

Anna stood outside Negi's room and smiled at him as he walked out. It was still before lunch and he looked a bit disheveled. "So, how did it go?"

Takamichi walked up and smiled at them both. "Yes, both of you. How did your first classes go?"

Negi sulked a little. "Well, not very..."

Asuna jumped between the two young teachers and Takahata. "It went great! Smashing! I'm sure he'll do fine! I was with him the whole time, right Negi?"

Anna cocked her eyebrow at that and looked up at the man she was speaking to long enough to shrug.

He seemed pleased and slapped her on the shoulder. "Well, that's great. I'll leave him to you, Asuna."

"Hmmm." Anna frowned as the girl's scowl returned. "I'm betting she was a problem, huh?"

He flushed. "N-not really."

Asuna was bubbly and rubbing on her shoulder where the man had touched her. "Takahata!"

"That must be the source of the unrequited love," commented Anna. "Quite the crush I'd say."

"Oh, shut up," said the girl with a gleam in her eye as she frowned at Anna. She then turned her attention towards Negi. "I hate kids, and there's no way I'd recognize a guy like you as a teacher." She crossed her arms and turned up her nose. "How would a shrimp like you know someone like Takahata anyway?" Anna was getting annoyed again. The girl shifted her attention on her. "You either. We're the same age, you're not so great."

Negi gave a sigh. "It wasn't so bad. I had a bit of trouble keeping a handle on things at first though. I wouldn't say it was a great success."

The redheaded teacher nodded. "Well, you've just got to be firm. Unfortunately, you seem to have difficulty with that."

Draco walked up and glanced at the group. "Oh. That girl again. Azura or whatever."

A group of girls from their homeroom class walked by and giggled as they waved and called to him. "Good Morning, Mr. Malfoy!" chimed the group.

Asuna spun around to glare at him. "What? It's Asuna, Kagurazaka Asuna, and don't you forget it!"

"Why would I care to remember? I've got no interest in you," he replied simply and looked rather bored. He looked at his master. "We've got another class. I don't see why you're checking up on him anyway. He'll live."

The redhead nodded. "I know. We're all in the same boat though. We should help him out when we can." She glanced at Asuna and smirked. "Besides, my turn is coming up after the next period. I want to know how hard on them I need to be."

Negi gasped. "No! Don't worry. I was just a bit nervous and got flustered. They weren't that bad, really."

Asuna tossed her hair. "Whatever, I can handle anything this brat can dish out."

A group of her classmates called over to her. "Asuna! Over here!"

"Later," she spat rudely at the teachers.

Draco glanced at Anna and sighed. "Just don't kill her, all right?"

The redhead cocked her head. "Nah. I've got just the thing. I've got to get supplies from storage though, so be a dear and start the next class for me. It won't take long, you probably won't finish with taking the role by the time I get back." She skipped away and looked cheerful. One of Carrot's recently failed plots for world domination had a few leftover supplies that were just perfect.

The blond boy watched her go. "That makes me nervous."

The ten year old teacher nodded. "Me as well. What do you think she has planned?"

Draco shrugged. "Not sure. I'll find out. I doubt she'll hurt anyone. At least I hope not. That girl is getting under her skin, and she's still a little unstable."

Negi blinked. "Unstable?"

The older boy nodded. "Yes. I suppose you've not heard how she got expelled from Hogwarts?"

The young boy shook his head. "I've not heard. I know she had a bit of a reputation because she got thrown out of Wizarding school. You two were a lot like me, none of us socialized much. We kept to ourselves and studied a lot. I remember seeing both of you around the library and in the training hall. I meant to speak to you, but we were always so busy that I never got around to it." He flushed a little and scratched his head. "I could never work up the nerve, I'm a big fan of the D."

Malfoy nodded. "Yeah. A blessing in disguise I suppose. Anyway, she turned to the dark side and took over the school. She and her brother got into a big fight and killed each other. Somehow, they came back to life though. She won't say how she managed that one. Anyway, she's supposed to be finding her way back again. I was her evil apprentice, and she's bringing me along for the ride."

"Way back?" The boy seemed confused.

"Back to the light side. It's hard to explain, but our emotional state manifests itself in our powers. If we use negative emotions to control our energy, it effects us psychologically and we get really nasty dispositions. We're supposed to be on some sort of sabbatical to realign ourselves to the light. We're sort of psychic monks of a sort, as well as Magister Mages. Warlocks with advanced training basically. Part of the reason we left England was to find our center and achieve inner peace or some other such rubbish. According to her that is." He looked in the direction his master had gone. "She seems to have hit a snag."

The young teacher nodded. "Ah. That sort of makes sense, but I'm not entirely sure what you mean."

Draco nodded. "Don't worry about it. I'll be keeping an eye on her. I don't care much for her to be honest, but it's a lot better than that thing she turned into. I'd rather not deal with it again if I can help it. It's a lot more dangerous than you might think." Anna had told him his fear was holding him back, he was feeling more like it was keeping him in check. He didn't want her turning into that thing again because he was afraid of it, terrified. Staying with her and helping to keep her on track was the only option he had. He knew that if she turned again, she would come for him. The thought of that still sent shivers of fear down his spine. He shook his head and smiled at the boy who was giving him a questioning frown. He did tease her and annoy her as much as he could, but she took it well and bantered back with him. He was keeping a careful eye on her emotional state, and she was doing much better. In fact, getting on her nerves actually seemed to help a little, even if it did create extra work for him in training.

Negi cocked his head. "Dangerous?"

Malfoy nodded. "I'm sure you heard about what happened during the last House Elf Wars. It wasn't pretty."

The young teacher got a little wide eyed. "Um, yes. I had heard. She beat them rather soundly. Quite a..."

The blond shook his head. "She crushed them completely, 'beating them rather soundly' is putting it lightly. I saw pictures of her tossing about rocks the size of buses and shooting lightning from her hands without casting a spell. The Great Hall of the House Elves is still being rebuilt from that blast she made. Not even a Dragon would have caused so much damage." He scratched his head. "She says it would have been much harder if she'd not acted quickly and gotten to the leadership before things escalated. House Elves are difficult to contain, and they can get into a lot of places wizards and Mages can't. If they'd completely mobilized, she'd have been forced to take more drastic measures and it would have been a lot more trouble." He smirked. "The elves don't know it, but she used the same source they got their cold iron weapons from to make the chains she used to bind them when she took over their home. That old dwarf is still using bunnies to help him work his forge I've heard. They're good for that sort of thing."

Negi swallowed. "Oh. I see."

The older boy slapped his shoulder. "Well, she did get better, but we should both keep an eye on her. She's trying at least. I think so anyway."

The young teacher hung his head a little. "Well, she seems nice enough. She's been looking out for me. I don't think my first class was as bad as it might have been if she hadn't helped me out earlier."

Draco nodded at that. "Yeah. I've got to go. She'll watch your back, so don't worry. I suppose you're not so bad, so I guess I might lend a hand from time to time." He strolled away towards the lab again. "That brat, leaving me to start the next class..."

OooOOooOO

Anna was standing in front of her class and had a smile rather like a Cheshire cat. Draco looked annoyed, he'd ended up teaching for half of the last period. It was an easy lesson, mostly a reading assignment. "Well, hello ladies." She leaned forward and peered at the rather pensive looking group. There were several who were not very nervous though. She could feel it from them, their nerves were there, but well hidden with discipline. Anna's smile faded a little. "Hey, is that...a droid?"

Malfoy blinked and looked surprised. "Huh?"

There was a surprised gasp from within the room, a pair of them. Anna fixated on the loudest of the two and her smile had faded into a small frown. It wasn't just some robot, though that in itself would have been unusual. Whoever had built it used several design elements specific to droids. That was a bit much to be just a coincidence. She appeared to be made mostly of wood, but Anna could tell her internal components were more advanced than the exterior indicated. "It...it can't be." She pointed at the girl in question. "You, Chachamaru. State your designation and place of origin."

"Hey, there's no need..." snapped a young looking blond girl. She hadn't said anything before and was keeping a low profile intentionally. She actually looked a bit too young to be in the class, but not by much.

Anna's eyes went wide. "I see."

"Designation, Pr-921 class..."

"Chachamaru, that's enough!" snapped the Blond with a scowl on her face.

The droid went silent and looked at her master.

"So, she's yours is she?" The redhead narrowed her eyes. The droid had stood up, and the young redhead walked around her giving her a look over as she passed. "A Pr-class? Place of origin, Vandor 3. A Government produced protocol droid I'd wager. You need a power converter. That contraption on your back is a good fix, but it's not sufficient for continuous operation. I'll make you one later, I've got enough to whip one up no problem." Power converters were easy to make, she used to build and repair them all the time in Watto's junk yard. The basic components weren't so advanced she couldn't rig one together with the current level of technology in the world, especially with her owl to give her a helping claw in the matter. It would be a bit bulkier and not as efficient as the sort of unit she could have made back then, but not so large that it would hinder her in any way. It would still be much better than what she currently had installed.

Both girls got rather blank expressions on their faces. The blonde girl was clearly shocked, but she was already a bit pale.

"Um...Th-thank you?" muttered Chachamaru.

"Who...who the hell are you?" muttered the blonde.

Anna glanced at her out of the corner of her eye and turned back towards her desk. She let her lightsaber flash into her field of view for a moment.

The blonde girl swallowed hard and settled into her seat as she noticed it. "Huh? But...it's so far...so long...it can't be."

The redhead took note of this. Her class was confused. Asuna stood up. "What the hell is this? Do you three know each other somehow or something?"

Anna ignored her. She glared at a seat in the middle of the room. "Chao Rin Shen, I'd like to speak with you after class."

The girl gasped, and got wide eyed. "But...I haven't..."

The redhead put her hands on her cheeks and sat down behind her desk leaning forward. "You're not in trouble, but don't think I'm asking either. There's something I need to ask you about though." She glanced over at the droid.

The Chinese girl narrowed her eyes and nodded. "There's no connection."

Draco seemed as if something had just dawned on him. "Huh?" He looked at the girl Anna was talking to and narrowed his eyes.

"I guess we should start," grumbled Anna as she hefted the book up in front of her with one hand.

"It's about time!" snapped Asuna.

"My, so exuberant! You just volunteered to participate in my demonstration! Congratulations!" Anna stood up and put her foot on her desk while pointing her finger in the air.

Every desk in the room creaked a little as the students sat back all at once.

"Huh?" muttered the ponytailed student with a dumb expression on her face. "N...now...wait..." She started to back away.

"Hmm, haven't installed the suppression devices yet..." Anna jumped over her desk and landed in front of the girl. She grabbed her wrist and pulled her to the front of the room. In front of the desk was a kiddy pool with what looked like some sort of crude electronic device sitting in the middle of it.

"What the hell is that?" cried the girl. "Let me go! I..." She couldn't break the grip and found herself pulled on top of the thing.

"Don't worry, it's just a superconductor. If you just do as I say, it won't hurt a bit." Anna pulled a pair of welding goggles down from her forehead and covered her eyes. "You're not grounded, so you're safe. Don't move though." She plugged the device in with two ends of extension chord.

"What!?" cried Asuna with wide eyes.

Anna's wrists had started to glow a little and projections of screens had appeared in front of her. "Just be still, I'm working on something here...aaaaannnndddd...huh? That's strange...it's not..." She narrowed her eyes a little and typed a bit. "Huh. Resistant to...oh well. I've got a workaround for that." The teacher smirked as she worked her projected computer a bit more. "There. That should do it." She turned to look at her assistant. "Mr. Malfoy, the nitrogen bath please."

The entire room was stunned into wide eyed shock. Every jaw was hanging open and they could only stare at the scene as the blond boy poured a rather large bucket of very cold looking liquid into the pool. It was creating fog that rolled over the edge of the pool and onto the floor.

Asuna screamed as she floated into the air and started spinning slowly to her left. She was upright until she started waving her arms and ended up spinning head over heels a few times. Anna reached out and steadied her. "Now, can anyone tell me what's happening here?"

"She...she's flying?" muttered one of the girls in the front. Her name was Sakurako and she had been quite cheerful when she had first arrived. She looked rather numb.

The redheaded teacher nodded, "Well, she's floating. Flying is a little different, but can you tell me how and why?"

Asuna had her hand over her mouth and was making growling noises at the redhead. A quick flip from Anna's wrist put a stop to it as she let her spin sideways a few times. She stopped her again and the girl just looked a bit ill.

A girl named Satomi with two braided pigtails and a pair of glasses on stood up and raised her hand as she spoke. "Is it the Meissner effect?"

Anna smiled at her and nodded. "Yes, that's right. I've magnetized all the iron in her blood, normally it would start clumping together and kill her in a few minutes, but thanks to Super Genius Washuu, it's no problem at all."

Satomi cocked her head and seemed to think about that. "Um...how?"

Every girl in the room gasped and few looked toward Chao.

The girl shrugged and glanced around. "I don't know how she did it either."

Everyone was looking ahead now and seemed sufficiently amazed.

"You're skirting the line here," grumbled Draco. She was dangerously close to using magic openly. He supposed she could claim that her computer was something she made herself using her 'scientific genius' as cover for it. Still, it wasn't normal for anyone really. He had no clue why she was going so far for what seemed to be a private joke.

Anna sighed and gave Asuna a tug on the hand. She hadn't been able to float out of the center of the magnetic field that was holding her up. She was pulled out gently and landed on her feet beside her teacher. Anna quickly moved the trashcan behind them about ten inches to the left with her foot just before her student bent forward and heaved into it. "You could have told me you get motion sickness. I could have prevented it if you had said something."

The pony-tailed redhead growled as she stalked back towards her seat. "You didn't tell me what the hell was going on, you brat."

Anna nodded. "Yes, I'm more free with information with people I'm getting along with."

Asuna froze up and turned her head back to glare at her with a livid expression on her face as she sat down.

"Now, we're all going to read a chapter of our science books, and wouldn't you know it, our demonstration is relevant." Anna seemed quite cheerful as she kicked her feet up on her desk. Her screens surrounded her, but the students could see her through them. "Might even get a little work done while we're at it."

Draco looked at the class with a frown on his face. "Please, don't associate me with her. I didn't pick my assignment here you know."

On the whole, the class looked rather like they had enjoyed the show they had just gotten.

OooOOooOO

Anna had her hands behind her head with her legs up on top of her desk, Draco was standing behind her with his arms crossed.

Chao approached and seemed unconcerned with the looks she was getting from the pair. "Don't try to look so intimidating. I'm a Jedi, Padawan," commented the girl as she lifted a scarf that hung around her hip and showed them a lightsaber.

The redhead narrowed her eyes at that. "Interesting. Who are you? What brings you to Mahora?"

"The will of the Force, of course," replied the girl simply.

"That doesn't tell us much," commented Draco. He seemed to have relaxed a bit, she was no threat at least. Not at the moment anyway.

The girl nodded. "I'm not supposed to tell you much."

Anna kicked her feet off and leaned towards her. "Well, what can you tell us then?"

"I was warned about you, that you would be keeping an eye on me. I'm willing to accept that." She smiled at the pair and gave a small bow.

Anna sat back and sighed. "Well, who warned you? Tell us that at least."

The girl smirked. "You did." She seemed amused and pleasant. "Is there anything else you needed? I can't discuss anything about this with anyone here, not even you. You of all people should understand why."

"No, you can go," replied the teacher with a small nod. The girl walked out of the room and left the pair alone. Anna's face fell a little as it seemed to sink in. "The future then? Interesting."

"Now what?" asked her Padawan, he was annoyed with the girl for using the title. "I like apprentice more, it sounds better to me."

Anna chuckled at that. "Sith have apprentices, you'll get used to it, Padawan."

"You're dodging the question. What should we do about her?" asked the boy.

"I like her suggestion of keeping an eye on her, but beyond that nothing. I'm not so sure I trust her motives here, but I do trust her honesty in regard to her origins. I sense the mark of another time on her. I know it well enough, my parents are not as old as their birth date implies." She sat back and worked her tongue on the inside of her cheek. "That blonde girl...she's very old. I'm not sure what her purpose here is, but that droid...she knew where it came from. I don't think she was actually built there, but the design is unmistakable, if a bit more advanced than I remember."

"So?" Draco was confused.

"Vandor-3 is in the Corscant system. The same star system that was once my home. I'm very interested in those two." She narrowed her eyes as she said it. "How did they get here? She's not of this world, I thought she was a vampire at first. I'm gonna have to think on that one for a while." Anna looked at her screens with her chin on her palm.

"Maybe she's an alien vampire? Are you kidding me?" Draco grumbled and sighed. "This is getting stupid. Maybe you should...stop...thinking for a while."

Anna glanced back at him and smiled. "That's not a bad idea actually. This class is full of weirdness. I don't think it's a coincidence Negi and the two of us ended up with them on our schedules."

Her student rolled his eyes at that. "You don't believe in coincidence to begin with, so that's not a huge surprise. Someone should talk to these girls about the rules about weapons on school grounds," muttered Malfoy. "I think that tall brunette girl is some kind of ninja or something."

The redhead nodded. "Yeah, the quiet girl who hovers around Asuna's friend, Konoka. I think there's something there, not just a crush. Though, there is a pretty big one going on there."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Kind of hard to miss." He sat on the edge of her desk and looked down at her. "You can't keep antagonizing Asuna you know."

She nodded and thumped her head against the desk. "You'd think I'd get along with my fellow redheads. She doesn't seem like a bad person, but she's so aggressive and it bugs me." She cocked her head. "I think things will level out. If she hates me, there may be nothing I can do about it now. No big deal, I can handle one irate student. I guess I should try harder not to tease her. It's so hard to resist though, she made it so easy."

"What? You're looking to me for advice on how to be nicer?" Draco cocked his eyebrow.

Anna cracked a grin and kept her head down. "Say it, mean it, do it."

He rolled his eyes and sighed heavily. "Fine. Be excellent to each other."

She looked up at him and smiled warmly. "See, doesn't it feel better?"

He put his arms up to shield himself from having to see it. "Don't do that, you know it creeps me out."

She lost interest and kicked her feet off her desk. "Come on, that was our last period. You should head back and get some rest. I'm gonna go check up on Negi and make sure that girl doesn't dump him on the street."

Draco nodded. "I suppose so. Don't expect me to unpack your things."

"I'll deal with it when I get there, get started on your stuff. We're going to be here a while, no point in not getting settled as soon as we can though." The redhead nodded and walked out of her room. She walked down the hall with a smile on her face and her hands behind her back. "Not bad for a first day."

"You! Miss Washuu!" called an accented voice.

Anna turned and looked at the girl. She spoke in Chinese and the other girl looked a bit surprised. "What was that you called me?" A dark look gleamed in the teacher's eyes.

The girl backed off a little and shifted her eyes away from the glare. "Um, Li'l Washuu..."

"Oh, I must have misheard you then," said the redhead with a sweet looking smile. "Ku Fei was it? What can I do for you?"

"Yes, that's right." She got a grin on her face. "You speak my language? That's great, it makes this easier!" She pointed at her. "I want to challenge you to a fight!"

"I'm afraid as a teacher, I can't oblige," said the redhead with a shrug.

"You're strong," said the girl as she narrowed her eyes at her.

Anna gave a small sigh. "What if I am? I'm still a teacher you know. I can't fight with students, it could get me into a lot of trouble, far more than you. Not really a fair trade off. I probably would have clobbered that Asuna girl a few times by now if I could. Well, I shouldn't say that. A good swat to the back of the head at least. I'm to understand I can get away with that in moderation, but I'd rather just avoid the issue."

Ku-Fei nodded. "I see. Fine, I challenge you to a match then."

The redhead paused and glanced at the girl. "What's the difference?"

The Chinese girl smirked. "We do it in the gym, with a referee, as a sporting event."

'Miss Washuu' cocked her eyebrow and considered for a moment. "I'll talk with the old man and see if I can't arrange it." She smiled at the girl. "I warn you, I won't go...no. Nevermind. I see now. You don't expect to win."

The girl gasped and balled her fist as she stepped back. "What? How?"

Anna faced her. "I'll tell you what. I'm in no mood to push you around, not even for your own benefit. You lose that fear, and I'll accept your challenge. A match, as a sporting event of course. There are rules even I can't break after all."

Ku-fei glared down at her feet. "It's like...she's looking into me. I can feel it, her eyes go very deep." The Chinese girl leveled her glare at the girl and nodded. "Yes. I see you are a master. Your eyes see right through me. I will train hard, and I will return when I am ready."

Anna nodded. "I look forward to it." She had a feeling there would be no 'playing fair' with this one. She could not crush her, but had no intentions of facing her with a handicap either. "Interesting place," she commented.

"I noticed that," said another familiar voice in Chinese.

The redhead glanced over at her. "Chao. Time travel is dangerous. I'm not sure I approve of your presence here. Though, seeing as the reasoning is a mystery, I'll be keeping a very close eye on you. Watch yourself."

The girl nodded. "I intend to. I know what to expect of you."

The redhead cocked her eyebrow. "Do you now? Well, I expect you'll be able to handle me should the need arise then?"

The Chinese girl hung her head a bit. "I couldn't say. We'll be finding out sooner or later I wager."

"Why is that?" asked the redhead.

"I told you already, you warned me about you," said the girl. "No, I'm not yours either. My master, has not yet been trained. She was very beautiful though, often called the fairest of the Jedi."

Anna narrowed her eyes. "That doesn't sound much like a Jedi."

"Says the so called 'Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe'?" said the girl as she smiled cheerfully.

Both girls were rather relaxed and the tone became somewhat friendly. "Yes. Being 'fairest' is somewhat subjective and a bit self centered though. It's rather unlike a Jedi to have a title like that one. I have to admit, calling myself the 'Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe' is something of a personal joke on my part."

Chao smirked and seemed to think about it. "She never said it herself, it's just...popular opinion. You'd think she never noticed. I think it runs in her family actually, she's a third generation Jedi and her mother and Grandmother had similar 'titles' when they were younger." She shook her head. "Ah, you have experience with Vampires. I'd almost forgotten."

Anna nodded. "Yes. I think I can trust you, but...I really can't. You understand, yes?"

The girl smirked and nodded. "I wasn't expecting you to know that trick yet. You're still pretty young. I used to fall for it all the time, but not recently. I'm surprised I missed it."

The redhead shrugged. "A former Vampire by the name of Afina taught it to me inadvertently. She's a therapist and uses it to get her clients to open up a little more. She's very skilled, and I picked it up after a few months of seeing her over the summer. She's dating one of my Father's friends."

"Huh. Something I didn't know about you. Go figure." Chao seemed amused and shook her head.

"Well, I did get you to open up a little. I suppose it's a fair exchange, and a lesson." Anna looked out through a window onto the grounds.

"A lesson?" asked Chao in confusion.

"Your presence here has changed things. The past is already on a different course. You have no idea what to expect of me, child." She started walking away and left the dark haired girl scratching her head in the hall. After a moment she paused and kept her back facing the girl. "If you know as much as you claim of me, then you should also be aware, that I have quite the eye to keep tabs on you, young Jedi." She held up a tarot card over her shoulder facing her. It was two planets colliding together over a golden ring.

Chao hung her head. "Chaos."

"Yes, you have unwittingly unleashed it. Do not imagine that everything will go according to your plan. I would not be so foolish in your position as to assume such a thing." Anna continued on her way and didn't look back.

"Jeeze, she's as much of a pain as you said, Master," grumbled the girl with a slightly sour frown. "I guess she was right to warn me about herself. What a brat."

"Wait, she actually warned you that she'd be this much of a brat in the future? Exactly how long does this last? I'm stuck with her for the foreseeable future." Draco uncrossed his arms and pushed off the nearby wall.

Chao blushed as she turned to look at him. "I dunno. I mean, I know her and all, but not very well. I haven't trained with her since I was a Youngling. She's really old and everyone respects her. She doesn't do much besides work with the Younglings as I recall. I guess you could say that by the time I meet her, she's 'unofficially retired'."

Draco punched the air. "Drat. Then she might always be this bad. I'm starting to think the Sith system is better, then I could kill her and be done with it sooner or later."

The Chinese girl put her hand up. "I'm not even going to ask. Look, you two are weirder than I thought. She's right, and it's annoying. I'm completely surprised." She left him standing in the hall.

Draco had instructions to return home, and he planned on it. He did want to have a look around the area while he was at it though, and saw no reason to hurry. "I guess I'll head towards the apartment then."

OooOOooOO

TBC...


	2. Chapter 2

A Matter of Force Special: Anna and Draco's Kakkoi Adventure.

Part 2

Adjusting to Mahora

OooOOooOO

A short time later the blond boy found himself standing in the courtyard. He glanced around and sighed. "Right, be 'excellent' to each other." He felt like a complete ass every time he had to say it. It was her way of letting him know that he was still under her thumb.

He strolled out down a long staircase. There were actually several courtyards with wide stairs that led up to the building. Some of them had a fountain or a statue at the center, others were just open paved spaces. He frowned as he noticed a girl with a hefty stack of books in her arms. It was obscuring her view. He cringed a little, it was as if he could feel his master looking over his shoulder. "Great. That's not going to end well. Kind of homely looking, it would be more fun to just watch. I'd get a laugh out of it." He crossed his arms and considered his options. His frown deepened. Anna often used her psychic powers as a bluff he'd noticed, but sometimes she could call it because of them as well. In other words, she had an annoying habit of finding things out somehow or another.

"Hey. That's dangerous." He took half the books from the girl's arms and started walking with her as she neared the stairs. "You shouldn't walk around blind like that in this sort of place, you're going to break a few bones if you keep it up."

The girl gasped and looked surprised and flustered. "Th-thank you...Mr. Malfoy."

"I guess." He shrugged and didn't look that interested. "You're Nodoka, from the third period class."

The shy looking brunette had her hair hanging over most of her face. She nodded and stumbled for a moment. Draco scowled a little and she seemed to catch herself. "Sorry. I'm a bit...clumsy."

The boy nodded. "Yes. So it would seem. Where are we going by the way? I've got nothing better to do at the moment. I'm supposed to head back to where I'm staying, but I want to take a look around a bit as well."

"That wasn't very nice," said Negi as he hopped off the edge of a nearby fountain. He looked like he was making notes on the his copy of the class role. "You should be more polite you know."

Draco shrugged. "Never have been very good at that I'm afraid." He didn't seem particularly sorry. "I wasn't expecting to find you out here. Aren't you supposed to be staying with that girl, Asuna?"

Nodoka looked interested in that. "Huh? Asuna?"

He scratched his head. "I'd rather not push my luck with her. She lost me, and I'd be a bit dishonest if I said I tried very hard to stop her."

The blond nodded. "Well, I'm a bit concerned about hearing that. An...er...Washuu has it out for that girl. She's not going to let it go. I'll take you there and try to explain that to the angry girl. I shouldn't have much trouble talking her out of pissing the redheaded monster off."

The group walked right up to a rather irate looking Asuna. "Yeah? Why is that?"

Nodoka moved behind Draco and tried to look very small.

"I've known her for a few years. You're not going to win this little conflict. I've seen her do things to people that make that little experiment in class today rather pale in comparison. She's a mad genius you know. She doesn't always think about what might happen if she does something she thinks might work. I'd suggest treating her with a bit more caution." Malfoy looked rather bored with speaking to her.

Asuna gave a snort and crossed her arms. "You're just saying that because you're her boyfriend."

"Actually, I don't really like her. I'm only with her because I'm her apprentice. To be honest, I don't have much say in the matter." His features soured a little.

Nodoka had a very deep blush on her face and was shaking a bit with her stack of books almost falling from her arms.

The redhead with pony tails and bells in her hair cocked her head. "Huh?"

"I owe her a debt, and I'm stuck with her until I pay it off by finishing my training with her. How is that? Simple enough for you?" He rolled his eyes. "At any rate, you're in no position to antagonize her. Stop butting heads with her, the harder you push, the worse she'll get. As I'm sure you've noticed, she can be quite inventive and sadistic."

Asuna growled and rolled up her sleeves. "I can take whatever that brat can dish out."

"Well, you can start by taking him in for a bit. He's ten, it's not like he'll go rooting through your underwear drawer. He's still got about three years before anything of the sort might cross his mind." Draco looked down at the heavily blushing Magister.

"I -don't- like kids," she growled as she moved to look him in the eyes.

Draco remained calm and aloof. "So what? Putting up with him is easier than dealing with her if you don't. She's not going to let this one go, as she seems to have taken a liking to him for some reason."

The girl stuck her nose up. "Why should I?"

"Are you an idiot? I pretty much just laid that out to you." He sighed and started walking. He glanced back at Nodoka. "Come on." He gave a wave over his shoulder to the redhead as he moved by her. "You'd better hope she doesn't find him on his own out here, and I promise you she will if you leave him."

Nodoka glanced over her shoulder. "Are you sure it's all right to just...?"

The boy had a rather dark looking grin on his face. "Yeah. He'll be just fine. One way or another."

Asuna scowled at the boy next to her. "All right, come on then. I guess you're staying with me."

He looked flushed and poked his fingers together. "I don't want to impose..."

"Shut up and come on. If you try to talk me out of it, I'll let you." The girl let her shoulders slump and grumbled as she walked.

Negi looked ahead and noticed Draco handing off the books he was carrying to Nodoka at the entrance to the building that held the classrooms. He smiled and glanced at Asuna's back. "Thanks, Mr. Malfoy," he thought to himself. He was a bit rough it seemed, but a really nice guy.

Asuna seemed to think on it. She scowled a little and hung her head a bit more. "He was helping Miyazaki after all, and he doesn't seem to like that...girl. I guess he might be all right, maybe." She glanced back at the boy with her. "Come on, I've got to drop this off in the classroom." She pointed at the plastic bag hanging from her wrist.

The pair walked through the door and Negi's homeroom class jumped out from everywhere. "Surprise!" Confetti flew at him and there was a bit of food and drink set out for everyone.

"Oh. That's right. I forgot there was a welcome party," Asuna pointed at the bag in her grip. "I went out to get a few things."

The girls surrounded Negi and sat him in the middle of the table. Takamichi and Shizuna were also there and looking on with drinks in their hands. They both seemed to be enjoying watching the girls have fun.

Anna was beside them with Draco at her side. The boy leaned in. "Master. You didn't tell me about this."

The redhead chuckled. "My, you're in a foul mood. You must have done something nice for someone."

Draco narrowed his eyes and realized she knew he'd end up there. "I hate you so much."

"You're an interesting pair," commented Takahata as he glanced at them.

Shizuna smiled as well. "Yes. You've known each other for a while?"

"Unfortunately," grumbled Draco.

"He's just a stick in the mud. He hates to admit it when he does something good." Anna shrugged and noticed Asuna was scowling at her. The girl noticed her gaze and looked away. "She's going to be a handful."

Takamichi gave a good natured chuckle. "She's a sweet girl. Very outgoing, and she has lots of energy."

"And a thick skull," muttered Draco with a smirk on his face. "I'm surprised these two aren't getting along famously really."

"She's special somehow. I may be new here, but it was no accident this group ended up on both our schedules. I hope you don't think I wouldn't notice that. Probably the old man's doing. He was meant to meet her, and I don't think it's anything along the lines of an arranged marriage either." Her face had gone very serious. "Something is going to happen, something very big. Mahora is where it will begin."

Shizuna looked confused. "Pardon? What do you mean?"

"Great. I knew this place had a bad vibe when we got here." Draco looked annoyed.

Takamichi frowned and kept his voice low. "I'd brush that off if it were anyone else. You think something is going to happen?"

"The three of us are all Magister Mages by training, but all of us are combat specialists. Negi has his own reasons for training this way, as do I. However, this assignment doesn't fit our talents at first glance. We are not meant to merely make the lives of Muggles better with the secretive use of our magic. Though, that is part of our duty as well. We are a sword and shield to use against real dangers from our world that may impact theirs. We are meant to deal with true threats." Anna narrowed her eyes. "The old man knows something is coming, and that Negi and that girl will be catalyst in whatever it is. She's special somehow, more than just another Muggle. All of these girls have an exceptional talent. It's rather odd to find a single class with so many specialists in it, especially combat specialists. The Ninja, there are a couple of martial artists, a sharpshooter, the samurai, his own granddaughter even. No, I'm no fool, and I sense there is a disturbance in the Force. It has only grown stronger since we've come here."

Takamichi nodded. "Quite observant as well. I admit, it has me wondering. I'm a combat specialist, but I have diplomatic experience, and I've been a Magister for a while now. Mahora isn't the kind of place they send new Magisters for internship. It's almost a relaxing get away for those of us who have been at this for a while. I was thinking the Guild might have sent the two of you here because of who you are, and it seems they did, but not for the reasons I originally thought."

Shizuna pushed her glasses up her nose a little. "I don't understand. I thought it was a bit odd myself, but considering who Negi and 'Miss Washuu' are..."

Draco cocked his eyebrow. "Huh? Who is he?"

Anna nodded at the boy. "He's the son of the biggest pervert to ever be a Magister Mage. The man of a thousand Pactios, Nagi Springfield," replied Anna. "He was also considered one of the greatest Mages to ever live. He vanished a while ago. No one knows what happened to him. Maybe he's dead, maybe not. No one knows. It's assumed by most that he died as I understand it."

The blond boy nodded. "Ah. I remember reading about him as a second year at Hogwarts. Quite the guy, though I do recall they never mentioned what a Pactio involved. I'd rather have not found out."

"Shut it. I spent the rest of the night with a bottle of mouthwash myself. Don't go thinking..."

The blond woman smiled. "You're partners then?"

"I hate how people put it. Yeah, I know sometimes partners end up married. Not this time." Draco frowned at her a little and crossed his arms. "I'd rather marry a House Elf."

"That can be arranged," muttered Anna.

Takamichi nodded. "Yes. It seems we should be on guard."

Shizune glanced at the girls. "Quite a group we've collected. She's right. If you look at it with their talents in mind, it's more like a combat squad than a class." The woman looked worried. "I hadn't noticed it before. Everything from front lines, to intelligence and tactics."

Takahata rubbed at the stubble on his chin. "I doubt that we've not noticed yet is an accident." He lit a cigarette and leaned back. "Maybe we should start keeping our ear to the ground. I wouldn't bother asking the old man, he's not likely to give anything up. Still, it may pay off to dig around a bit and see if we can figure out what's up?"

Anna nodded in agreement. "Yes. Not much else to be done at the moment besides be mindful of it. The vampire is interesting. She's not here, and has her droid with her as well."

The woman gasped and frowned a little. "Of course, you would notice that wouldn't you?"

Takamichi nodded. "Evangeline A. K. McDowell. Quite notorious actually. She's imprisoned here. As far as I can tell, she attends classes to keep from getting bored. Don't worry too much about her, she's where she's supposed to be. Droid? I suppose you mean Chachamaru?"

The redhead smirked. "Maybe so. There's something else about her that interests me as well. I'm afraid I can't just let it go."

"Huh?" said Shizune and Takahata as they both paused and looked at her.

"It's difficult to explain, but I'll be having a chat with her sooner or later. The fact she's a vampire is only mildly interesting. I've got a fix for that if it becomes a problem already. No, she's..." Anna hung her head a little. "It's kind of a long story. I'm not so sure it would make much sense anyway." She smiled and seemed to relax. "There's no hurry, but I've a feeling we'll all be pretty busy over the next few terms. I should probably deal with it soon, before I get overwhelmed with distractions."

"Like there aren't enough of those already," muttered Malfoy. He paused and noticed Nodoka approaching him with a nervous look about her. "Huh?"

"...Um, er, about that incident earlier, when you helped me..." She seemed to have a bit of trouble getting it out and blushed heavily. She almost jumped forward and closed her eyes as she held a small slip of paper out to him with both hands. "Please accept this book certificate as a token of my gratitude!"

The boy was confused and took it. "Um..." He could feel Anna's gaze on the back of his head. "Thank you." He accepted it from her and she looked about ready to faint. "Maybe you should sit down, you don't look so..." He stopped as he felt someone stomp on his foot. Anna and Shizune were both about the right distance away, and he couldn't tell who had done it as their expressions were pretty much mirror iMages. "Right. Thanks, I love to read. I'm sure I'll find it useful." He wanted very badly to leave.

"Hey, Bookstore is going for the teacher's assistant!" said a redhead with her hair pinned up behind her head. Everyone turned to look and Nodoka was clearly flustered.

"No!... I'm not... and my name isn't bookstore!" stammered Nodoka.

Anna frowned at that and took note of Asakura Kazumi. "Hmm, that wasn't very nice."

Shizune noticed the look and frowned a little. "It was just a little teasing. No harm. Nodoka will be fine, really. She's just a little shy. The girls all treat her well enough."

The young teacher nodded. "Noted, still wasn't very nice."

Draco snorted. "Neither is what you're planning."

Takahata nodded and seemed a little concerned. "He has a point. I can tell just by the look on your face that he's right."

The girl nodded. "Fine. I'll let it slide...this time." She narrowed her eyes at the scene in front of her. Asuna was looking miserable beside Konoka, and the dark haired girl was giving Nodoka a rather blank stare. Ayaka had unveiled a bronze bust of Negi as a welcoming gift for him. He looked confused and bewildered, but seemed to be enjoying the attention. She noticed that Chao was reading their lips from her seat, and received a smirk from the girl when she realized she'd caught Anna's eye. She wasn't bothered by this, and was far from surprised. "This is as bad as Hogwarts, maybe worse. Damn it."

"Yeah, except this time, we're the teachers," commented Malfoy. "I'm going back to the flat. I've had enough of this for today."

Anna nodded and watched him walk off. Takamichi and Shizune walked over to speak with Negi, and the boy was almost toppled over as Asuna put herself directly in front of Takahata. She stayed in the corner and relaxed with her drink. The feeling in the room was pleasant, and everyone was enjoying themselves. The redhead smirked as she looked at Asuna. It would probably crush the poor girl to find out how much she bothered Takamichi. He liked her and really thought she was a nice girl, but got frustrated dealing with her crush on him. He was careful to not let her notice him avoiding her.

The redhead who had spoken up about Nodoka walked up to her and grinned. "Hi. So, tell me Miss Washuu, what's the deal with you and Mr. Malfoy?"

She cocked her eyebrow. "Deal?" She gave her an up and down glance. "You make a habit of questioning faculty about their personal lives?"

"Well, I am with the school paper, and it's news around here. Two child teachers, and the girl comes with a mysterious boy who hangs around her all the time? People are going to ask questions and come to conclusions of their own. It might help to just be out with it and..."

"He's studying under me. He's got a bad attitude, and I don't date students. So, feel free to try and catch him if you like. Not so sure you'll like what you get though, he's kind of a stuck up jerk. His family is wealthy, and he's snobbish and arrogant. He's not acting that way to be cool you know, he's really that stupid."

The girl had stopped writing on her pad and seemed confused. "Studying?"

Anna nodded. "Yes. I'm training him. I'm his Master, not his girlfriend."

Kazumi smiled. "I see. So...it doesn't sound like you're talking about science though. Martial arts maybe? I heard Ku-Fei challenged you. So, you're teaching him how to fight?"

The teacher shrugged. "Amongst other things, yeah. He's available, and I'm not particularly attached to him. Though, he's also faculty, so you girls are kind of out of luck anyway. The headmaster..." She thought about that and cocked her head. "Well, he might not like it, in theory anyway... Good luck. He's a jerk, and he's more likely to insult you than date you if you try. He's really not a very good person, I'm just forcing him to keep in check with fear."

The girl jotted down a few more notes. "He's...afraid of you?"

Anna nodded and sipped at her drink. "Terrified. Can't say I blame him, but I can't rely on it forever. It's not good for him, and he won't learn anything if I keep it up. Still, he's more unpleasant than he seems. Don't say I didn't warn you."

Kazumi smiled and looked up at her. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

The teacher frowned a little at that. "No. I have no place in my life for such attachments right now." She didn't seem to be angry at the girl about asking, but it had brought her mood down a little.

"Oh, sorry," muttered Kazumi as she seemed to realize she'd touched a nerve.

"Don't worry about it. It's...I had to let someone go to live the life I've chosen." She smiled at the girl and hung her head a little. "I won't say more than that, but you don't have to worry about me being upset about you asking. Just don't push the issue, or I'll get annoyed."

They all seemed to realize she wasn't going to give anything else up. Misa smiled at her. "Come on and sit with us at least."

Anna smiled at her. "Thanks for the offer, but I've got to get back. I've got to get up early and torture my student for being such an ass today." She gave the room a warm smile and walked out the door. "I'll see you in class tomorrow."

As she left the room her smile faded. "What the hell is this? That isn't a class of middle school girls, it's a swat team. What the hell are we into here exactly?" The girl glanced over her shoulder. "Well, it's interesting to say the least. Oh well. I should have known better than to expect peace and quiet. This is all a little too weird to be coincidence." She wasn't in a bad mood over it though. Overall they seemed like a good group of girls. She had to admit they had a certain charm as a group. She wasn't there to make friends though, and she knew there needed to be some distance between them to teach.

She walked along for a time as the sun set behind the school along the empty school grounds. It was a very open grounds and quite a beautiful place. It had a European feel to the architecture. It made sense, considering the place had been founded by Mages. Japan had its own mystic arts, but the order of Magister Mages had started in Europe.

"It is a bit weird isn't it? Hadn't thought about it much. This group of girls all together in one room, and now with the boy Mage and the mysterious Force user as teachers. I wonder what it is? Oh well, I'll find out sooner or later."

Anna stopped and glanced over her shoulder. The young looking blond girl from her class was sitting on a low wall. "Oh. Well, I was hoping to talk to you."

"Chachamaru..." said Evageline as she glared at the redhead.

Anna strolled forward as the robot landed behind her. It reached for her, but stopped suddenly and hung down as it lost power suddenly. "Interesting droid. I've never seen one with wooden components, and I'm guessing she was constructed here. Something to hold onto from home perhaps?"

The blond stood up and balled up her fist. "I knew it. You're a Force user."

The teacher nodded. "Yes. I'm very interested to hear your story."

"Why?" growled the blond.

"That Galaxy is very far away. Too far for even the Starships I knew to travel. How did you end up here?" Anna shrugged and relaxed against a lamp post. Evangeline was afraid, and nervous about speaking with her. "My. It seems you've had a run in with a Force user before. Very interesting."

She snarled and hooked her fingers into claws as she backed away. "I am not the same as I was then."

"Yes, you seem to have picked up the vampire's curse. I imagine you've been here a while." Anna looked back at the powered down droid. "As a Daywalker, I doubt you were turned. You're a Pureblood, but you weren't born that way. You did it to yourself, a very long time ago."

"That's right, it's no big secret." Evangeline noticed the teacher's attention on her robot and seemed to relax again. "What did you do to her?"

Anna shrugged. "I stopped her gears. Like I said, it's an interesting fix. I'll whip you up a few power converters soon. I used to build them back home on Tatooine all the time. I can find what I need here without any trouble. Though, I am going to have to have a few parts custom made. I've already got a great source for that sort of work though."

The blond gasped and stared at her. "Wh-what?" She seemed to bow up a little. "Who are you? How do you know all this?"

"Anakin Skywalker, well, I was once. Nice to meet you." Anna gave a small bow.

The young looking vampire wasn't sure what to make of it. "I see. I know that name, Skywalker. The head of the Jedi Council is named Skywalker. That's supposedly not unusual, but he was the first in quite a while."

Anna nodded. "So it would seem. There had never been one I was aware of. I'm a relic of the Clone Wars, probably quite a long time ago, even by your standards."

The vampire gasped. "What? That was..." She narrowed her eyes. "I see. I had a run in with a Sith Lord by the name of Goman Shurath. He was a space pirate. I was put into an escape pod and launched into space when they attacked. I only remember his name because he was known to be in the quadrant and the adults were all nervous about it. I woke up here, after who knows how long in cryostasis. I was a child, there is little I can tell you of that place. Shortly after I arrived here I became a vampire. It made adapting to my new home a little easier, and let me work off some of the stress of being stuck on this backwater dust speck. I found it rather liberating actually, quite a bit of fun."

Anna nodded. "Then you know Jedi are not Sith. I did not come here to fight you. I'll be keeping an eye on you, but...it's odd."

"What's that?" snarled the vampire. She was annoyed and glared at the girl. She didn't like telling her that, but seemed to think it might get her to back off a bit.

"You," the redhead smirked and narrowed her eyes. "I sense there will be conflict between us, but you don't feel like an enemy. We'll see where the Force takes us. May the Force be with you, Vampire."

Evangeline walked over to Chachamaru as the teacher left the scene. She slapped her robot on the back and immediately the gears inside her that charged her battery started again.

"Booting..."

The blond looked down the road the redhead had taken. "May the Force be with me?" Her eyes went wide and she gasped as she clutched her chest.

Those were the last words her father had spoken to her as he pushed her into the pod as he collapsed. The ship was destroyed moments after she had launched. The Sith was being hunted by the Jedi in the quadrant, and destroyed every ship he raided. She had forgotten until that very moment. His face was eroded by the winds of time, as was his voice, but the words had come back to her. Her eyes turned angry as she looked down the path again. She pushed the memory away. "We'll see about that, Jedi. Soon, my bonds will be freed. That boy will ensure it."

OooOOooOO

Anna wasn't that surprised to find Takahata and Shizune waiting for her outside her apartment. She led them inside and found Draco sitting behind a low table on the floor in the middle of the room. He was eating Pocky and had a rather bored expression on his face. He glanced over his shoulder and immediately lost interest. "I've had enough for today, leave me out of it." He knew they were waiting outside on the girl of course, but ignored them in favor of spacing out in front of the space heater. They hadn't bothered knocking and were waiting for the redhead to arrive outside.

Anna nodded. "Shouldn't be much of a conversation. I don't know much I'm afraid."

Takahata nodded and puffed on a cigarette. "I know enough about you to listen. We couldn't really talk with all the girls around. You think there is something going on?"

Shizune nodded. "You're a well known psychic in England, Miss Potter. We got your file before you arrived, and we're aware of your...gifts."

The redhead shrugged. "I told you pretty much everything I know. Something is just now beginning here in Mahora. It is not a minor event, and it will have an impact far beyond Mahora. That girl will be involved somehow, as will Negi. I've a feeling the whole of his homeroom class will get dragged into it." She frowned a bit. "I'm not sure I approve of that, they are just children."

The Guidance Officer seemed to think on that. "So. We should be on guard then." It wasn't really a question.

Anna nodded. "That's about the size of it, yeah." She played with her finger on the tabletop for a moment. "I sense a disturbance. It's being caused by, or possibly it's just reacting to that class. That boy, he has a destiny in this place. A great choice will be given to him, and he will decide the fate of many. Though, Fate has not yet played his hand. Fate, it seems to be important here somehow."

Takamichi grinned and sat back with his hands behind him. "Well, that's reassuring."

Shizune seemed to think on it. "I suppose we shouldn't waste time worrying about it now. Still, I don't like the sound of this. It does seem to be the perfect storm here. Too many little things lining up the right way. Someone has put this together for a reason. I'd wager it came from very high up, but we are not meant to know yet? If we are involved that seems odd."

The man scratched at his beard and smirked. "We don't know how much of a part we play, if any."

"We all have our roles," said Anna. "I'm curious as to what mine might be. I wouldn't mind sitting on the sidelines for once, but I've a feeling that isn't happening. How annoying."

"Well, we agree on something. How odd," muttered Draco. He was half listening, having tired of staring at the wall.

The redhead leaned back. "It's still too soon to say what the deal is here yet. I doubt it will be peaceful for our entire stay in Japan. Might as well enjoy it while it lasts."

Shizune nodded and smiled at that. "Yes. I suppose so. Takamichi and I will ask around a little. See if we can find anything out. We've got connections with other Mages, and might be able to turn up something useful."

Anna looked up at the ceiling. "That old man knows more than we do for sure. Not sure how much, but he'll just play stupid if we ask anything."

"Maybe he's right? We should just get on with it as if nothing is happening," grumbled Malfoy.

Anna blinked at him. "Why Draco, congratulations. In your attempt to be snide, you've actually said something useful and intelligent." She leaned forward. "He's right, ass that he is. Business as usual for now. Just, don't be surprised if something unexpected and possibly apocalyptic crops up. When I said that I sensed a disturbance, it wasn't something small in scale. Something that may change the world forever will begin here, for good or ill I do not know."

"Yes, and we'll be forced to kick someone's ass, correct?" Malfoy stretched his arms.

Anna glanced at him. "There will be conflict, even death before this ends."

Takamichi gave a sigh as he stood up. "Well. I suppose it's nice to know ahead of time."

Shizune smiled as she got up with him. "It's more warning than we usually get."

The man chuckled in response to that. "Welcome to being a Magister Mage. We're rather used to the sort of thing you're talking about."

Anna shook her head and seemed amused. "Well, I expect we'll fit right in then."

"Yeah. Just like home," said Malfoy as he put his hands behind his head. "We've got no clue, and you're winging it."

Takahata slapped him on his shoulder as he tossed his coat over his arm and turned to leave. "Well, that does sound like you've got the basics of the job right. Don't worry, it's not always so dour. Often it's just a country or a city that's at risk. The world does pop up enough to be a bit irritating after a while though."

The two adults left them and Anna stood up. "Let's get some sleep. We've got an early day tomorrow."

Malfoy rolled his eyes. "Is there another kind of day?"

"Not for you, smart ass," she grumbled as she went into the western style bedroom. There were two rooms, Malfoy's was a bit smaller, but enough for him. He hadn't brought anything with him but a carry on bag. Anna had arrived with the same and an owl cage. Her four little minions were in her room as well. Japan also had bunnies, as the forest elves had assisted in their spread across the entire world, and they quite easily adapted to any environment. Her room was as sparse as his own, with a bed, a dresser, and a small end table in it. "I feel like I've been in meetings all day."

He scratched his head and found his bedroom looked inviting.

OooOOooOO

Negi gave a small sigh. Asuna was quiet and pretty much dragged him home with her. He found himself standing in a corner that had been taped off, various keep out signs were hung from ropes around the area he was sleeping in. It was warm and dry though, so he couldn't complain. He looked out the window and stared into the moonlight for a time. He'd made a few new friends, Anna Potter no less. Though, no one but himself and the other teachers knew that. "I suppose a disguise makes sense." He seemed to think on it and tugged at the chain that attached his ankle to a large dresser nearby. "Oh well. I should get some sleep. Tomorrow can't go any worse than today did."

OooOOooOO

Asuna looked annoyed as she stood on the train with Negi and Konoka beside her. She was flustered and irritated with the boy, and he didn't seem to know when it would be best to just drop the subject and leave it be.

Negi was somewhat oblivious to her condition. "I'm really sorry about that. I always used to sleep with my big sister that way."

"It's all right. There's no harm done," commented Konoka.

"That's easy for you to say, I almost made ou..." She flushed and glared at him as she realized what she was about to say out loud. "Just watch it. That chain we put on your ankle must not have been locked."

A familiar voice spoke up from behind them. "Well, good morning." Draco Malfoy looked a bit tired himself as he looked at the group while hanging from one of the balance rungs.

"Eeep!" muttered Konoka as she became very red. "M-Mr. Malfoy. G-good morning!"

Asuna's head whipped around. "What are you doing here?" She looked about the car.

The blond boy put his hand up. "Relax. The shrew sent me to check up on Negi. I'll be meeting her at the school later."

The redhead crossed her arms and turned away from him. "He's fine. We're letting him stay with us for now."

"I noticed," replied the blond. He looked at the boy. "How are you holding up?"

Negi smiled. "It's not so bad. I'd rather have a room of my own to be honest, but Konoka is a very good cook. Asuna isn't as loud as you might think either."

"What was that?" growled the older girl as she frowned at him.

"It was almost a compliment. I knew he was staying with you already anyway. We're teaching as part of the same program, so we're just looking out for him." Malfoy seemed amused for a moment.

Konoka seemed to notice his state. "You look tired."

He nodded and yawned. "We get up pretty early for training."

Asuna seemed half interested. "Training? What kind of training? She seems kind of nerdy, and not very active."

Draco gave a snorting laugh at that. "Active doesn't quite cover it. Just being around her is exhausting." He didn't mention that a lot of the reason behind his condition was his own mouth. "She's the strongest person I know. Don't let her size and that nerdy attitude of hers fool you. She'd run you into the ground if you let her."

"I doubt that," growled Asuna. She was a good athlete and quite proud of her energetic personality. "I'm no weakling you know."

"Yes. Asuna is very active," agreed Konoka.

Negi nodded in agreement. "I'm surprised you're not getting along with her better. You seem a lot alike."

Asuna was pulling on his cheeks before he could back away. "What? You brat! Take that back right now!"

Draco smirked at the scene. "You know, you just proved he was right, even if you don't realize it."

"What? I won't accept it! No way am I anything like that bratty teacher!" snarled the girl as she seemed to get even more excited.

"You should calm down, you're making a scene," replied Draco with a calm air about him as he glanced around.

The girl blushed and settled a little. "You shouldn't tease girls like that you know."

Negi almost apologized, but Draco slapped him on the shoulder and spoke up. "Why not? It's quite a bit of fun." He said it with a serious and straight face.

Konoka burst into laughter and Asuna scowled at her. "It's not funny."

Negi brightened up a little. "It's all right. I'm sure he's just kidding. Right, Mr. Malfoy?"

The blond boy shrugged. "Not really. Anna has a hard time resisting the urge to tease easily excited people like her. I guess it sort of rubbed off on me a little."

"We're here," grumbled Asuna as she stalked off the bus. "Here I was thinking he might be okay..."

OooOOooOO

"Miss Washuu?" said a quiet but confident voice in the hallway of Mahora. It was early in the morning, and most of the students hadn't arrived yet. A few were trickling in, and most of the teachers had been at work for a short time already.

The red haired teacher turned and smiled with something a little dark in her eyes. "Huh? What was that?"

"Um, Li'l Washuu...can I have a word?" It was Hakase Satomi, one of the students in Negi's homeroom and her third period class. The girl was nerdy looking and cute, with a pair of pigtails and large framed glasses resting on her nose.

The teacher nodded and a bit of the danger left her grin. "Sure. What do you need?" The girl had done well in her class, and seemed to be a bit of a science wonk.

"It's about Chachamaru. I'm not sure what's going on, but I built her. She's my creation." The girl stuck her nose up.

"Ah. I see," commented Anna. "I thought her design was a bit odd for a droid. I've never seen one made mostly of wood before. Still, I recognize some elements in her design that are distinctive to droids."

"Yes. I'm a bit confused about this Vandor thing..." The girl seemed to get uncomfortable for a moment.

"That gear box is your doing then?" said the redhead as she nodded and seemed to think on it. "I know you didn't design her. Even if you built her, the design was something Evangeline gave you. You also didn't program her."

The girl gasped. The new science teacher had her pegged cold. "It...how?" She frowned a little. "I had to debug her programming, and fill in a lot of missing data. It was very complex, and even I had to get a bit of help with it." She looked a bit annoyed. "No one is supposed to know where I got those plans. How do you know all this? Do you know Evangeline from somewhere?"

Anna nodded at that. "It explains a bit I suppose. I didn't know her before I came here. I do know something of how and where she got those plans though. She contracted you to build her?"

Satomi nodded. "Yes. I also maintain her for a small fee. The plans were very advanced. I had a bit of trouble with some of the specs at first. I'd never seen anything like it. I couldn't say no. It was amazing, and I'm not sure how she got her hands on those plans. I was thinking some sort of espionage or something at first. She didn't really understand them, so I'm sure she didn't make them herself. It was on a rather odd disk. I had to build something to be able to read the thing, and I couldn't even figure out how to display that weird font it uses. I had to get someone who knows binary code to figure any of it out. I still don't know what country it came from."

"Well, that's not really important anyway," replied the redhead as she shook her head. "Come on, I've got something you might like to have a look at, and we've got a bit of time before class starts again."

OooOOooOO

"Wh-what is this?" muttered Satomi as she leaned over a blueprint for a medium sized electrical device. "It's for Chachamaru?" It looked to be about the same size as a small game console.

The teacher was leaning against her desk with her arms crossed and smiling at the girl. "Yes. It's a power converter. With this, she'll be able to operate continuously without having to wind up. It's a little crude and a bit larger than what I'd like to build, but it will work fine. I don't have access to what I'd need to make it smaller anymore."

"This is amazing!" squealed the girl as she gushed over it. "This...I see. It's to regulate heat, but rather than vent it, it converts...and this part is for regulating voltage. It's variable! How does that work? Is that a positron collider? I've never seen one so small!"

The redheaded teacher was impressed. "My, you have a good eye. It will still need to be plugged in every week or so for about an hour. A standard wall socket will do the job, though she will need an adapter if she travels. It can also use plasma cells, but they're only good for about three days of operation. Her on board battery can hold a charge for about two weeks of full operation, but overcharging it that much will wear the unit down after a while. It would actually be best of she only charges for about ten days of operation, but it won't hurt her to charge fully every once in a while if the situation requires it. If she uses sleep mode at night, she's good for about a month of operation with a ninety percent charge. Plus, it will allow her to adapt other sources of energy as well. She can operate on minimal power with solar, kinetic, and heat energy. Though, to work at full specs she'll need a good charge. It will be enough to keep her continuously operational for about sixty percent of her systems at all times. That should be sufficient for just about anything but combat or advanced movement operations. With this, she'll never run out of power again."

Satomi was drooling over the blueprint. She turned to look at her teacher with sparkles in her eyes. "You've got to let me help with this! I can do it! Really!"

Anna was a bit taken back. "Huh? I don't see the harm in that. If you do well enough, there might even be some extra credit in it for you." She shrugged and grinned. She wasn't expecting such enthusiasm.

The girl glared down at the plans with a mad gleam in her eyes. It wasn't just because she wanted to help, and she honestly did. She wanted to find out what the woman knew about Chachamaru. She seemed to know about the robot's true origins, but wasn't giving any details. She very badly wanted to know the answers to all those questions Evangeline had given her when she contracted her to build her companion. For the first time in a long time, it seemed like she finally had a lead.

Anna had an interest in letting her help as well. "Who helped you with the coding and deciphering?"

Satomi gave a small bow. "I'm sorry, I promised not to say."

The redhead nodded. "That's a shame, I'd like to speak with them regarding the program. They must be someone quite impressive if they managed to figure out that programming language."

The schoolgirl looked at the blueprints. "I'll have to ask permission. I doubt she'll turn me down after I tell her about this. What is she anyway? Some sort of military project? Where did you get these plans? This looks like it was designed just for Chachamaru. You seem to know a lot about this."

Her teacher chuckled at that. "You could say that. I designed this myself, but I had a bit of help with the blueprints. I'm not very good at drafting design plans, but I know someone who takes care of that sort of thing for me. She's more advanced than what I remember. I'd like to take a peek under the hood. She was made for etiquette and protocol, as well as to act as a bodyguard. The model was probably built with translating and providing etiquette information to a diplomat or head of state while keeping them safe at the same time. I recognize design elements specific to combat droids in her, thought it doesn't seem to be her primary function. They used to require separate models for either job. Two with a programming bond that makes them more efficient in their duties. In fact, Chachamaru's performance may improve if we build a counterpart for her."

Satomi stared at her teacher with her jaw hanging. "B-build another?" It didn't look much like the idea displeased her. "Hmmmm. Not a bad idea, I've been kicking around some ideas about some of her design elements for a while now."

"It does sound interesting, doesn't it?" Both Anna and Satomi had a rather wild eyed stare and a cracked grin. Their fingers were curling up as they looked down at the blueprints.

Draco walked into the room and arched his eyebrow. He quickly backed out of the room again and poked his head around the corner part way with his eyes narrowed in a suspicious manner. "Why does it suddenly feel like something very bad is going to happen in the near future?" He sounded a little nervous.

Anna scowled a bit and seemed to lose some of the crazy eyed glare. "What do you mean? We're just going over a little extra credit work."

The boy seemed wary. "If you say so, what are you two doing anyway? It's kind of scary seeing you looking at something that way."

The schoolgirl chirped in and seemed quite cheerful, but still a little unbalanced. "We're engineering the future!" The first bell of the day rang and Satomi looked up and gasped. "Crap! I'm going to be late!" She turned and rushed out the door as she gave her science teacher a wave. "Later, Li'l Washuu!"

Anna looked quite pleased. "She's a good kid."

Her student sat down and relaxed in his chair next to her desk. The first few students started trickling into the room. "Negi seems to be adjusting well. He seemed fine, but that girl...she's really fun to tease."

The redhead gave a small sigh. "Tell me about it. It's so hard not to. Still, I shouldn't, and neither should you."

OooOOooOO

Satomi was kicking her feet as she hummed cheerfully to herself. She was sitting on a stool and looking on as Chisame, another girl from Negi's homeroom class, looked on at the holographic projector in wonder. "I really only agreed so I could get a closer look at this. What's the processor pushing?"

Anna smiled at her. "It's over 9,000ghz." She had actually put the disk into the hologram and had it stick in what looked like a projected disk drive.

Chisame looked completely shocked and a bit like she didn't really believe it. "It's over 9000?!" Satomi knew enough that she looked like she was impressed, but not so much as to realize just how impossible a claim like that would sound to someone who knew computers well.

"Hmmm, yes. I'm surprised you were able to read this thing. Pretty impressive." She started touching various parts of the screen and looked on. She looked at Satomi and smirked. "You really built a drive that could read this?"

The girl was clearly excited and nodded. "Yeah. It took me a while to realize the disk required three separate lasers and a low power proton beam to access the information. I had limited success with a standard laser, and after a few hours of adjusting it, I figured out that there were three different frequencies involved. I also needed a blue and yellow laser. The proton beam was a little harder to figure out. It was the only way I could get the images to clear up, but I'm not sure why."

Washuu smirked at that. "It stabilizes the output beam and keeps the lasers from turning white where they converge."

Satomi gasped and seemed to think on that. "That...makes sense."

"It does?" Her friend was clearly confused, but took note of what was being displayed. "Hey, it's that weird language. I had to use binaries to clean up the code. I figured a few words out here and there though. Mostly commands and modifiers, that sort of thing. Took me all of summer vacation, but it turned out to be a passable OS for Chachamaru." Chisame had brown hair and also sported a pair of glasses. "What's the resolution of this thing anyway?"

Washuu cocked her head. "I'm not sure, I've never gone full resolution with it. The most I've done is 160,000,000 by 90,000,000 with this display." She continued to type. "Let's see... Cryodine industries. Huh? Still using the old Imperial logo? Didn't expect that." She leaned in and narrowed her eyes.

Chisame looked confused and annoyed at the same time. She'd be telling the redhead it was total crap if it wasn't being projected right in front of her face. "Why do I get the feeling you can read that?"

"Because I can," replied the redhead as she typed a bit more. "Ugh. This is a mess. It's degraded quite a bit. I'm impressed you got it cleaned up enough to run it."

"What?" muttered the computer nerd in shock.

Satomi seemed cheerful and leaned in to whisper to her classmate. "See. I told you. It's got to be some sort of cutting edge prototype military secret."

"Actually, it's rather old," replied the red haired teacher as her grin widened. "I doubt this type of droid is still in service. Man, what I wouldn't give to see the new models."

This confused the pair even more. "What are you talking about?" muttered Satomi finally.

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you. I like the way 'secret military project' sounds, so we'll go with that. It's been a while since I've seen this language." Washuu sat back and smiled. "How would you like to have another go of getting this cleaned up, after I translate it for you?"

Chisame backed away a little. "Wait. If this is some sort of military thing..."

Her teacher chuckled. "This language is dead. No one uses it anymore. The people who made this program have been dead quite a while. Don't worry, we won't be stepping on anyone's toes." She smiled at the girl. "What do you say? I never thought I'd get the opportunity to get back into this sort of thing. It's pretty exciting."

The brunette seemed nervous. Satomi was already a total convert, she didn't care if it was some secret military project or not. "Are you sure? I don't want any trouble, and you can't tell anyone I was involved. Remember, you promised. Not a word about any of this. I don't want to be made out to be some shut in hacker around the school."

Anna cocked her head and grinned. "If it wasn't trouble, it wouldn't be much fun. Nothing that will hurt any of us though. You don't have to worry about men in suits staking out your place or having your name in headlines with 'computer nerd' across the top of the page in bold letters. I won't say a word to your classmates about this sort of thing anyway. Plus, I'll not only give you extra credit for the work, I'll also keep it under the table so no one suspects anything. We got a deal?" She stuck out her hand.

Chisame looked at it for a moment and smirked. "Deal. You get it translated, and I'll have another go of getting it cleaned up."

OooOOooOO

Draco Malfoy was walking through the grounds with his hands in his pockets. He turned his head and cocked his eyebrow as a young blonde girl appeared before him in the shadows of the trees. It was early afternoon, and Anna was giving the class paper tests that day. Meaning he didn't have much to do but stand there. So he left and went out to explore on his own for a bit. Anna didn't give him much to do aside from assisting with a few demonstrations. She'd overdone it every time, but refrained from using human examples after Asuna had gotten the full treatment. He was fine with ignoring it, and she'd spent the day before after classes in her room installing something into the walls and floors. That left him on his own, and he'd enjoyed being lazy and getting nothing done for an evening.

"Mr. Malfoy," said the little girl with a dark grin on her face.

He looked at her. "Shouldn't you be in class? You could get in trouble just wandering around out here you know." He noticed she wasn't very pleasant, and was chuckling a bit.

The girl looked him in the eyes. "Follow me, boy."

Draco moved towards her without taking his hands out of his pockets as she led him into an area secluded by brush and trees. She didn't seem to notice that her attempt to control him with her gaze had failed since he was going with her. A moment later and the pair was completely shielded from the sun by the thick brush around them, but not in complete darkness. "Where are we going anyway? There's nothing here. I hope you aren't expecting to make out with me or anything." Her intentions weren't anything of the sort and he knew it. The girl was giving off a very malicious vibe.

"Actually, that's pretty close," she turned her head as long fangs protruded over her lips and looked at him with red eyes. With a hiss she jumped at him and grabbed both his arms. The boy gasped, he had been ready to dodge an attack, but wasn't expecting her to latch onto him.

"Gah! Crap! That's gross!" snapped the boy as he flexed his arms and shoved her to the ground. The boy brushed off his shoulders and scowled as he put his hand up to his neck to apply pressure. Vampire fang punctures closed quickly, and he was in no danger of dying even if she hit a major artery. "What the hell are you doing?"

The girl stood up and glared at him. "Now you're mine!" she snarled as she clawed her hands at him. "I command you to tell me everything you know about Miss Washuu!"

The boy frowned and leaned into her face. He promptly conked her on the top of her head with the bottom of his fist. "Stupid vampire. I've been inoculated."

Evangeline's expression went rather blank. "What?"

"I'm immune to vampirism. You sick little leech. You bit me." He glared at her and frowned.

"Y-you're kidding," growled the girl as her cheeks flushed. "Well, never mind then. Go back to what you were doing." She turned her back on him and crossed her arms.

Draco stood up and dusted off his clothes. "Are you kidding me? That's it? Do you have any idea how hard it's going to be to get the stains out of my collar?"

She shrugged and growled. He hadn't caught a clue and left yet. "Do you know?"

The boy scratched his head. "Not really. Got any suggestions? You did cause the mess, you should at least offer some advice on how to fix it. I don't have a house elf I can give it to anymore."

"Look, get lost before I stop being so generous and drain you to death," snarled the girl as she spun around with her fists balled up.

"You're being generous?" he leaned in and poked her in the chest. "I'd like to see you try, you brat."

Evangeline growled. It was during a full moon, but the middle of the day. She was barely able to bare her fangs even with the darkness of the brush protecting her. She was about as dangerous as a ten year old girl otherwise. She turned her back on him. "You're mean, you jerk."

The boy snorted and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Whatever. You go around doing this to students or something? I'm pretty sure the old man won't overlook it if he finds out about it."

The young looking vampire fumed. "No. I'm not stupid, I singled you out because of that Jedi brat."

He looked around and sighed as he tugged on his collar. "Yeah. I guess. She is kind of a brat. What? Her interest in that wooden droid of yours got you nervous? I wouldn't worry about that, she seems to like her."

The blond girl growled. "Can't you take a hint? Get lost. I don't know what to do about your stupid shirt. Chachamaru does the laundry at my house." She pouted and looked away from him. "Look. This didn't exactly turn out the way I planned. It's kind of embarrassing. Could you just leave?"

"I'd rather annoy you," he replied. "To be honest, I was getting kind of bored with just walking around. Why aren't you in class anyway?"

The girl whirled around and jabbed her finger at him. "Are you an idiot? I'm a fucking vampire. I've been sealed in this place for fifteen years. Do you have any idea how many times I've taken that class?"

He cocked his head and seemed to think on it. "Have you passed before?"

She looked at him and crooked her finger. "Wh-what?"

He shrugged. "Have you ever passed the class? I'm just wondering."

"What does it matter?" she turned her back on him and crossed her arms as her face flushed. "I've taken it plenty of times. Look, this isn't a school for me, it's a prison. I'm not exactly attending so I can get a job in the future you know."

Draco snorted in amusement and put his hands on his knees. "Seriously? Not even once? How many times did you take it again?"

She grabbed his throat and glared into his eyes. "You cretin. I'm six hundred years old and fluent in sixty three languages. I'm a genius tactician and a master martial artist, as well as a top ranked Dark Mage. Where the hell do you get off teasing me about not taking a middle school English class seriously?"

The boy narrowed his eyes. "Your name is Scottish and you can't even pass a middle school English class in Japan?"

"I haven't been there in centuries, you jerk!" she snapped back at him. "I'm fluent, why should I care about passing that stupid class? I'm not here to study, I'm a prisoner!"

He scowled at her. "Look, you little blood sucking twat. You started this. Do you have any idea how much this shirt costs?"

"Do you?" she replied with a smirk of her own.

"A lot," he stated simply.

"You're bluffing. You've got no idea," she stated.

"What? I'll have you know it was very expensive!" he retorted a little bitterly.

"Yeah? How much?" she lifted her nose and kept her eyes on him.

He turned his back on her. "I'm not sure. My mother bought it, but it was from a very expensive and exclusive store in London."

"Or so you were told. Heh, for all you know, it was on a discount rack." She looked cocky and was regaining her composure.

Malfoy leaned down, picked up a handful of dirt, rubbed it into his hands, and wiped it down the front of her blouse. "Heh. There, that about covers it."

The girl looked down at herself and growled. "What? You prick! I've only got a few of these blouses!"

He narrowed his eyes and put his nose up to hers. "Maybe next time you want to bite someone on the neck you'll be more careful about mussing up their shirts."

She glared at him and seethed. "Most people I bite don't care. I don't know how you did it, but you should be my slave right now."

He shrugged. "Get used to it. There's talk of making it a standard vaccination for Wizards and Mages. Word is that it will be required to attend any sort of magical training school in a few years or so."

She cringed at that. "What?"

He turned and started walking away. "Heh. First time running into it then? Well, you can expect that from our kind in the future. Your bite isn't so dangerous anymore to anyone who can use magic. Even if you infect them, it can be undone. Vampires aren't the same level of threat anymore. You've been downgraded to a mild danger now."

The girl went red and a bit of steam escaped her ears. "What?!"

Malfoy seemed to understand and it improved his mood. "You, don't know, do you?"

"About what? How the hell are you doing this? You're not wearing a ward or anything." Evangeline grabbed him by his collar and put her knees into his belly to look him in the eye.

He pushed her back down and chuckled. "A cure for Vampirism has been discovered. Thing is, it also works as a vaccination. So, you'll never be able to turn me or my Master into your slaves. It doesn't work on us, and soon all magic users will be the same. Anyone who has turned into a Vampire can be made human again."

The blond vampire growled. "I doubt it would work on me. I'm a pureblood, a high daylight walker."

Malfoy frowned at that. "That explains a bit. Still, you're not much of a threat."

The young looking girl snorted. "Don't be stupid. My powers are sealed. If you were to face me at full power, I'd destroy you in moments. You, and that bratty Master of yours."

The boy turned and walked away as the bell sounded with his hands in his pockets. The students would be filing out of the buildings after a few moments on their way to the dorms or their homes. "Well, good luck with that."

Evangeline was flushed and gasping for breath. She growled and looked at her fist. "Hey, one more thing."

The boy paused and looked back. "Huh?"

The blond girl launched herself at him, hooked his neck with her arms, and kissed him full on the lips. Malfoy waved his arms and backed into a tree, hitting himself on the head against the trunk.

The vampire let him go and stood back with a gleam in her eyes. "Heh. You remind me of someone. I hate nice guys, and you're a real jerk. It's kind of hot."

"Are you crazy?" he cried in disgusted looking shock.

"Yeah. I'm evil after all, sort of goes with being an evil Mage. Anyway, you've gone and pissed me off, and hit all the right buttons. I think I'll keep you." She smirked over her shoulder and walked away shifting her hips.

"I wouldn't go out with you if..." started the boy with a dark glare in his eyes.

"Who said you had any say in the matter? I've decided I want you, and I always get what I want." She chuckled to herself as she walked off and left him there.

"Damn leech," grumbled Malfoy. "Gross. She looks like a little girl. No way." He shuddered at the thought of it. She'd put her tongue in his mouth and he spit a few times before wiping his mouth against his sleeve for a bit. "Ugh."

He staggered out of the brush and shielded his eyes from the sun as he turned and noticed students filing out of the building. He decided not to return to the class and simply stood amongst the departing students, wandering around and taking things in. He'd meet up with Anna when she left the building. The teachers had a few duties to take care of once classes ended, but it didn't usually take more than an hour, two at most.

"Mr. Malfoy, we missed you in class today," chirped one of the girls who approached him. She was one of Anna's Homeroom class, and not a bad looking girl. She had long bangs that hung over half her face, and a ponytail that hung to her shoulders.

"I get the day off when all we're doing is testing. An...er, Washuu can handle that on her own." He looked aloof still.

She smiled at him and waved as she went back to her rather excited looking group. "Well, I hope you enjoyed your time off."

"I wish I did. My neck still feels all slimy," he grumbled under his breath.

"Ah! Mr. Malfoy!" chirped a sunny voice.

"Again?" he said to himself as he forced a smile on his face. "Hello."

The young Chinese girl from the third period class ran up to him with a smile on her face. It was the stupid one, not the Jedi. "Heh. I was wanting to speak to you, aru."

She was pleased to see him and very excitable. The girl seemed to be bouncing in place even as she stood in one spot and spoke to him. "Huh? About what?"

"Hmm. How should I put it?" The girl actually stopped and seemed thoughtful. "I'm not quite sure how to ask it, aru."

"Ask what? Just come out and say it," he grumbled. He was losing patience, and the vampire girl hadn't left him in the best of moods.

"Huh?" She seemed surprised and smiled. "You speak my language too? Great!"

His face fell a little. It was a mental trick Anna had taught him. It was using the mental projection people made when speaking and using it to interpret the words. He then used that same connection to relate his own words in a way they could understand. Over time they could learn a language using it with enough exposure, but it wasn't the same as actually speaking it on it's own. "A little, I guess. Just don't ask me to read it. The Kanji give me fits, and I'm glad the Japanese had the sense to use so much romanji. I'd be completely lost if they didn't. Written Chinese is pretty much the same."

The girl stuck her tongue out and scratched the back of her head. "I'm not very good at studying. I can understand that. Japanese Kanji are strange to me as well sometimes. It's not so bad anymore now that I'm used to it. Katakana and Hirigana are the worst though."

He seemed to relax a little. "So, what is it you wanted?"

"You're not a teacher right?" she put her finger up to her mouth and looked rather blank.

Malfoy didn't like the way the conversation was going. "Uh, no. I'm just a teacher's assistant. An intern, sort of." He didn't like putting it that way, but couldn't think of a better way to put it for a Muggle.

"Great! I want to fight you!" Her face became serious as she put up her fists and took up a combat stance.

"Huh?" The boy was a little surprised at that. "Wait. Fight me?"

"That's right. Mr. Malfoy is Miss Washuu's student, right?" She relaxed a bit as she realized she might have to convince him a little.

"Yeah. I guess," He didn't like saying it, but it was common knowledge.

The girl smiled and had a confident look in her eyes. "One day, I will challenge her. She's very strong, I can tell. I want to test my strength against hers. It will be a lot of fun!" She seemed to get very excited as she balled up her fist as tears of determination ran down her cheeks.

"What's that got to do with me?" grumbled the boy.

"You're her student. She's too strong for me right now. I didn't even have to fight her to see that. As her student, you are also strong, but you're on my level now. So, I challenge you to a fight, so that we can both become stronger!" She stepped back and took up another combat stance with her hand curved over her head, and another curved down by her belly.

The blond boy still had his hands in his pockets. "No. I still work for the school. I'm not allowed to fight students, even though I'm not a teacher, I'm still faculty. Sorry."

The girl didn't move, but was still surprised. "R-really?"

A familiar and very amused sounding voice interrupted the conversation. "Well, we could always set it up as a sporting event. I've already spoken to the Headmaster about it in regard to your challenge to me, and he agreed."

"Lil' Washuu!" gasped Ku Fei as she lit up like a light bulb and turned towards the redhead as she approached the pair.

"You brat, I'd almost gotten out of that," growled Malfoy.

"It will be good for you," replied his smiling master. She was walking towards them on their right side with a binder and a few books in her arms. "Ku Fei, I'll take care of the details, but it will take a few days. You'll just have to be patient for a bit."

She nodded violently and was drooling a little. "Yes, yes! No problem! I'll train my hardest until that day!"

"Don't say that, you'll make it worse for me," grumbled the blond boy. It was obvious he wasn't allowed to say 'no'. "I don't see what good this is going to do, but fine. If it will keep you both happy, I'll do it. Less annoying that way I suppose."

"Yes, that's true," said Anna as she smiled at him in as vacant a manner as the Chinese girl.

"Thank you! I'm looking forward to it, Mr. Malfoy!" The girl gave a deep bow and skipped away.

"I hope you're happy," he growled at his master.

"Yes. I do hope you realize that using your weapon or manipulating the match with the Force is out of the question. That girl is very strong. You won't have as easy a time as you think dealing with this. You will win or lose fairly."

"So? I can handle one stupid girl," he grumbled.

The redhead seemed to consider that. "You may enhance your own physical ability, but that's all you are allowed to do. I'll be watching closely."

"Isn't that unfair?" he seemed confused.

"You'd think that, wouldn't you?" replied the redhead as she walked past him. "Come on. I've got to grade these papers, and I doubt you want to wander around here for the evening."

Malfoy looked suspicious of her. Her mood was too good. "It's almost like you expect me to lose."

She nodded and smiled at him. "Yes. I do."

Her student scowled at that. "She's just some Muggle brat. Don't insult me. Me, lose to that girl?"

Anna smirked at him. "I think it will do you some good. It's possible for you to win, but I doubt you're motivated enough to pull it off at this point. We'll see."

The blond boy rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Can we just go now? You can torture me in the morning like always. I get the feeling we'll be doing combat routines for a while."

Anna shook her head. "Nope. In fact, I'm going to lay off that until the match is over. Aside from our usual morning routine, we'll be doing meditation and mental work exclusively for the next few days. It will be pretty relaxing to ease back for a bit and take a break."

"Why does it seem like you're setting me up?" he grumbled as he pushed his neck down between his shoulders.

"Because I am," she replied with a shrug. "Anyway, we'll see how it goes." She was enjoying herself. She was prodding him, but thought he was stubborn and overconfident enough that he'd put off training properly just to be a tool about it. She was also aware that she might have annoyed him enough that he might actually do something to prepare for it. Either way, she wasn't sure if he would win or not. She didn't know Ku Fei, hadn't seen her fight, but she had a feeling she was very strong. Ki energy was no big secret in the world of Wizards and Mages. Eastern Magic often used it as well, and the Yin and Yang of Ki was central to their style of magic. It was a power that even Muggles could use with the right training and enough discipline. It was a limited power though, and magic was much more versatile. The redhead could indeed tell that Ku Fei was no slouch at using that power herself. Malfoy on the other hand, was not terribly sensitive to that sort of thing yet.

"Yeah. We'll see. I get the feeling you know something I don't." He didn't seem to be very trusting of her.

"Well, that's a hole with no bottom to it. Come on. You're in a bad mood today, and what happened to your shirt? Is that blood on your collar?" She'd been eying it since she'd run into him.

"It's nothing. I got a nose bleed," he growled.

She glanced over her shoulder as she started waling away and narrowed her eyes at him a bit. "Hmm. You're lying, but fine. I'll let it go for now."

He looked over and noted her expression. It didn't get past him that she looked like she knew more than she was letting on about that. He didn't care enough to find out how much by dragging it on any further, and was a little relieved she'd dropped it so easily.

OooOOooOO

Negi hugged his knees and simply stared. He was sitting on a low tree branch near a clearing in an undeveloped forested area on the Mahora campus. It was about seven in the morning and a light mist covered the ground and gave an extra halo to the weapons the two people he was watching were holding. Anna Potter was pushing a green blade against the violet tinted weapon of her student. They were both holding a staff made of light that came from a handle in the center that was a bit more than a foot long. He'd figured out why he never saw either of them holding a Mage's staff before. He actually had, but didn't realize what they were.

The pair spun apart and the redhead smirked as her weapon split into two swords. "Well, you've improved. Been training on your own over the summer?"

He snorted and spun his weapon in front of him defensively. "Still think I can't handle that Muggle girl?"

"Nope," she responded with a chuckle as she dashed forward and jabbed at him with the weapons. She didn't look to be trying very hard, but was moving very quickly. Draco spun his weapon around to block the strikes and kept her from landing any blows. He was pushed back a few steps and hopped over a rock behind him without looking back. Anna twitched her finger and a tree root lifted up from the ground where he landed and sent him on his back.

The girl had one of her blades pointed at his neck. "Well, you're doing better I suppose. Still, you should be aware of more than just what is visible."

He scowled at her a little. "I knew the root was there, I just didn't think you'd do that. You've never done it before and it surprised me."

She nodded. "Yes, that was the point. Do you think pointing that out to an enemy will save you? Be aware, Padawan." Her face was most serious, but she wasn't really scolding him either.

"Wow, that was impressive," said Negi. "Could you show me how to do that?" The pair walked over to where he was sitting and looked very relaxed. Draco was a little winded, but didn't seem excessively tired either.

Anna sighed and slapped Negi's shoulder with Draco moving up beside her. "No. I'm afraid I can't. This weapon is little more than two magic electric torches hooked together to anyone but someone trained in the use of the Force."

"The Force?" muttered Negi in confusion. "What, you mean like magic?"

"It's different than Magic," said Draco. "A lot more dangerous to use as well."

Anna nodded with a frown on her face. "Yes, that's true. Though, not in the way he may be thinking."

"I don't understand," said the boy as he thought about it. "You two are Magister Mages, like me."

Anna nodded. "Yes. We are. This is different though. I am also a Jedi. It doesn't conflict with being a Mage, but it's not the same thing either." She seemed thoughtful as she said it. "In some ways it's similar to Eastern Magic. It involves a concept similar to Yin and Yang, and it's extremely difficult to learn. I couldn't teach it to you, it would be very dangerous."

Negi seemed to think on that. "I'm willing to risk it, if it means I can do something like that. I want to be a famous Mage like my Father. If I want to do that, I've got to be stronger."

The girl shook her head. "I sense much fear in you. When I said it was dangerous, I didn't mean it was only dangerous to you. You are young, and I don't mean to sound as if I am making fun of you. Considering your life, it is understandable. You also have anger, though it is buried deep within you, and you do not yet understand it. I cannot show you, because your anger and fear would consume you. You would be consumed and destroyed by the Dark Side."

The boy blinked and looked a bit shocked. "Huh?"

Anna put her hand on her hip and looked at Draco. "I'm responsible for this one. It's bad enough as it is. I shouldn't be teaching him either, but it was too late to turn back for him. I have no choice but to do what I can for him."

"Well don't look at me as if it was my idea. You made me your evil slave, remember?" He hung a towel around his shoulder and drank a bit of water from a squeeze bottle.

Anna ignored him and looked at Negi. "I like you, kid. You put your all into everything. That will serve you well. You'll do fine I think. It's good that you want to be stronger, but I'm afraid that I can't teach you to use the Force. It would do more harm than good in the end." She paused. "What are you doing here anyway?"

He shrugged. "Well, I heard you two came here in the early morning."

Draco arched his eyebrow. "From who? We haven't said anything to anyone."

The boy nodded. "Chao told me she noticed you two coming to these woods together in the early morning every day. The whole class seemed to be pretty excited about it actually. I'm not sure why. Asuna didn't seem to want me to come. Anyway, she said it would probably be pretty interesting to see what you were doing, and that there was all sorts of noises coming from the woods until you left. I thought that was a bit weird, but as I got closer I realized she was talking about the sound those weapons make. You can't hear them until you get near to this spot in the forest. I noticed while I was flying over and found you two here."

Anna and Draco both stood there with their mouths hanging open.

"That bitch!" said the boy as he balled up his fist.

"Great," grumbled Anna. "If she said it in front of that group it's all over the campus by now."

The boy looked confused. "Huh?"

The redhead shook her head. "Don't worry about it. We knew you were here, and it's no big deal for you to see it. It's been all over the Wizarding news anyway."

"Oh." Negi noticed they both had their staffs hanging from their belts again. "Say. How do you ride those things anyway?"

Draco chuckled and shook his head. "We don't."

Anna nodded. "Right. Not a good idea. It's either not solid enough to hold us up, or it would cut us in half. We ride broomsticks. They aren't here though. One of the reasons I rent where I do is because it's close to this place. It's the perfect place to get our morning routine done."

Negi nodded. "Ah. I see." He was quite pleased thinking about it. "What kind of broomsticks?"

OooOOooOO

The boy was wide eyed once again as he sat in Anna and Draco's room with tea set out before them. "Wow. A Firebolt." He was impressed. "Those are supposed to be the best kind. They're really expensive. I've never ridden a broom before. Is it similar to riding a Staff?"

Draco gave a nod. "Yeah. A bit. Brooms are a little faster on the upstart and more maneuverable. A staff has it's own advantages though. They can be used to cast spells while riding them, and can even use certain incantations to give them a speed boost for brief spurts, but brooms are much faster normally."

Anna shrugged. "I'm not sure. I've never ridden a staff before. Mages favor them because they carry around a staff with them, but it's not a requirement to use one. As I understand, there are a few others who use brooms for various reasons."

Negi sat back and smiled. "Oh. You can't cast spells with a broom?"

The redhead shook her head. "No. Afraid not."

"It's also not a good idea to use boosting spells with one. They tend to interfere with the enchantments already on them. Wizard Brooms are pre-enchanted so they can go faster and to take some of the work out of flying. You don't have to use nearly as much of your own magic to fly one." Draco was quite pleased with himself for knowing all that.

The ten year old nodded. "I see, I see. So each has advantages of it's own."

Anna nodded. "Yes. To us, broomsticks are more practical than having another staff just for flying. It suits our style of magic and fighting more."

Draco put on a jacket over his shirt. "Come on, or we'll be late to work." He downed his tea and stood up from the table still putting one of his arms through the sleeve.

The young boy smiled and nodded. "Right. We've got time, but I guess we should get going." The pair had surprised him. He knew they were strong, but it was more impressive to see than he had thought. He was feeling rather inspired, and a bit disappointed that they couldn't help him. He didn't completely understand their reasoning, but got it enough that he wouldn't push the matter. "I guess I'll have to figure something else out," he muttered as they walked out of the apartment.

"You'll do fine," said Anna as she smiled at him. "There are many paths that can lead to great strength. Ours is too dangerous for you, but I'm sure you'll find a way. You've got the right qualities to become a great Mage I think."

"Not that she knows a whole lot about that," added Draco as an aside. "I guess I see her point though." He added the last part as she gave him a small frown.

OooOOooOO

Asuna was jogging along the road with bags full of papers at her sides. She was bunched up warmly in her clothes and rushed through the streets. "I still can't figure out how that brat keeps getting out every night." She kept waking up with him next to her, and had tried various methods to tie him down at night. She was actually considering investing in a cage.

"Getting out of what?" said a familiar voice from beside her. Draco Malfoy was jogging along side her, with bags of his own hanging at his sides. "I assume you mean Negi?"

The girl scowled. "What? What are you doing here?"

The boy was wearing a black long sleeved shirt with a turtle neck and a pair of black gloves. He had a towel wrapped around his throat, but nothing on his head or ears."The same thing as you. She made me get a part time job. Something about learning responsibility or some such. My family is wealthy, I don't need to work." He looked annoyed. "She says it's training, but it's just an excuse to enjoy my suffering. It's not hard enough to be training, and disruptive enough to be annoying."

Asuna stopped and blinked. After a moment she was bent over laughing. "That's your excuse?"

He nodded and put his hands in his pockets. "Think it's funny do you? It about sums it up. Yeah."

The girl shook her head. "Wait, you're rich?"

"My family is quite influential in Great Britain," he replied as he narrowed his eyes at her.

"How did you end up here then?" The girl started jogging again and talked to him. They both tossed aside copies of two different papers as they went.

"It's a long story. I ended up her student back at school, and now I'm continuing my training here," he replied. He was a bit annoyed at her for running her mouth, but she'd be easier to deal with if she was in a good mood.

"Student? What is she teaching you?" asked the girl. "Are you going to be a scientist?"

He shook his head. "No. It's hard to explain, but it involves martial arts, fencing, different kinds of meditation, and things like that. She kind of bullied me into it, but it's too late to back out now."

Asuna cocked her head as she made another delivery. "Um, that sounds a little weird for a Science teacher."

The boy gave a snort. "You don't know the half of it. She's a horrible brat."

The girl looked confused. "Then why let her be your master?"

"Let her?" he gave a snorting laugh. "You don't seem to understand. That girl is one of the strongest people in the world."

"Oh, come on..." Asuna rolled her eyes. "She won't let you leave? She can't really be that bad."

"Who said I wanted to leave?" he arched his eyebrow as he tossed another paper. "It's annoying, but she's teaching me to be strong as well."

The girl scowled at him. "Then why are you complaining?"

He shrugged. "Well, I don't like her much. She's pretty much forced me to do this, and it's annoying. Would have been nice to have some say in the matter, even if I'm willing to put up with it in the end."

Asuna seemed to zone out for a moment. "Oh. I guess I kind of get it. Still, you shouldn't gripe. It's not polite."

He narrowed his eyes at her a little. "You did ask."

Asuna turned down her route and his split off in another direction. She waved at him and smiled a bit. "I'll see you in class later then."

"Yeah," grumbled the blond. "Well, she seems to be an all right sort at times at least."

The girl continued on her way. "I guess he's not so bad." He wasn't a friend or anything though, but he did seem to hate the new science teacher almost as much as she did.

OooOOooOO

Washuu cocked her eyebrow. Classes had ended for the day and she'd gone over to check up on Negi in his class, only to find him sitting with a small group of his students. "Huh? After school study session?" She looked over to see a group of five girls sitting in his classroom. They were all cheerful and looked pleased despite their failure. All but one that is, Asuna was in the middle of it all. She looked sour and annoyed with Negi. The after test study session had been given by Takahata in the past, and she was in a bad mood that he'd been replaced again. "I guess that's not a bad idea." She looked over at the group.

"Yes, it's always the same group," said the boy teacher.

"That's right! Mahora's Baka Rangers are assembled," cried Makie. Ku Fei and Kaede were both looking pretty energetic next to her. Yue didn't look excited, nor was she particularly annoyed with her position.

Asuna slammed her palm on the table. "Who's a Baka Ranger?!"

The red haired teacher gave a small snort. "You are. Baka Red is it?" She walked over and picked up a small name tag from her desk top. The girls had actually color coded themselves. Ku Fei was yellow, Kaede was Blue, Makie was Pink, Yue was black, and Asuna was red. "Well, if I run into any giant rubber monsters, I know who to call at least."

Negi blinked at that. "I..." He rushed into the hall and laughter soon echoed in from outside the room. The boy came back in looking flushed and wiping a tear from his eye. "Sorry, had to step out for a moment."

Asuna was glaring at both teachers and looked angry. "Fine. This is an elevator school anyway."

Washuu hadn't yet cracked a smile through any of it. "I suppose you could look at it that way, if you don't mind being an idiot for the rest of your life." She leaned against the front of Negi's desk and looked at him. "What are you planning?"

The boy smiled at her. "I'm going to give a ten answer test. They can leave when they get six answers right."

His fellow teacher looked at the group in front of her and frowned a little. "Yes. I see." She glanced at him and switched to English. "You should have brought something to read and a pillow."

He looked at her and smiled. "It won't take very long, I'm sure."

Washuu shrugged and headed out the door. "If you say so. This is the same group with the lowest scores in my class as well."

Negi perked up a little. "Maybe you should try something like this as well then?"

She looked up at the ceiling. "If I think it will help. They're the low scoring group, but they're all still passing somehow. Even Kagurazaka passed my last test, though only by the skin of her teeth. I find that giving practical experience with a subject does wonders to help students retain knowledge. It's one of the advantages of teaching a science class. I can demonstrate what I'm teaching them. That's a bit more difficult to do with a subject like English."

The boy seemed to think on that. "Oh. I see." He looked very thoughtful. "Well, I can't demonstrate English like that I guess. Hopefully, this will help."

The redhead shrugged. "Really? I'm sure you can think of some way to make the lessons more...interactive."

He looked at her. "Huh? What do you mean? Do you have a suggestion?"

The girl smirked at him. "Well, you do have the whole of English literature to play with you know."

The boy looked confused. "Huh? I'm just teaching basic language. We're just working with simple sentence structure and pronunciation really. Most of these girls know the alphabet, but that's about it."

Washuu nodded and looked at him with a serious expression. "So? The best way to make language interesting is to put it into context and give it meaning. Do you think these girls would be more interested in seeing how far 'spot' might run and what the precipitation level is in Spain, or whether or not Romeo is truly the destined love of Juliette, or just how far Hamlet has descended into madness and how far he'll go for revenge?"

Negi cocked his head a little. "Shakespeare?"

The other teacher shrugged. "Well, he's not the only choice. Just the one they're most likely to recognize."

The younger teacher seemed to think on that. "I suppose I see what you mean there. I should use English Literature to help teach them English." It sounded like a good idea to him. "We could read passages and chapters."

The girl chuckled and shook her head. "Yes. That's a start."

He looked up at her again. "Huh? A start?"

"Why not have them perform it, in English?" she said with a warm grin that didn't look quite so pleasant to the group of students sitting in the room.

"Wh-what are you two talking about up there?" cried Asuna. She looked worried and none of the girls could understand what either one was saying.

"That smile, it makes me nervous, aru," commented Ku Fei.

Negi was wide eyed. "Can I do that?"

The redhead shrugged. "You're the teacher. Why not?"

The young British teacher got a beaming smile on his face. "That's a great idea. Thanks! Shakespeare sounds like a great choice!"

Anna returned his grin. "Anytime. Let me know if you need any help with it. I'll have the complete works of Shakespeare in Japanese and English delivered to your class. Enough so everyone can have a copy. They should be here in a day or two."

He paused and seemed to think on that. "Oh. I hadn't even thought of that. Thank you."

She pushed off and walked to the door. "No problem. You kids have fun now."

Negi was really into the idea. "We'll do Romeo and Juliette. That seems simple enough to start with."

The redhead seemed thoughtful and turned around to look at him from the door. She walked back into the room and leaned against his desk while looking at the ceiling tiles with one arm over her belly and tapping her cheek with her finger with her other. "Huh? How boring. That's a bit unoriginal. I mean, Romeo and Juliette is the play everyone defaults to for this kind of thing. Why not do something different? Even in Japan these girls have probably seen that play often enough to know the basic plot and details. They'll stay interested longer if you give them something new and different. Something they might not know."

Negi got a blank expression on his face and nodded. "Yes. I see what you mean. It was just the first thing that popped into my head."

The other teacher nodded. "Exactly what I mean. How about 'Taming of the Shrew'? Romeo and Juliette is a great story, but it's depressing and tragic. I think using one of his comedies might surprise them, Shakespeare is best known for tragedies and it might enlighten them to see another side of his writing they're not used too." She glanced at Asuna and the girl swallowed and lowered her head a bit at the sight of it. The others around her backed away from her leaving her exposed.

Negi lit up. "That's a great idea! I can see where opening them up to something new would be more interesting than going over old material."

"Well, I'll leave you to your study group. See you later." She waved and walked out into the hall.

The boy nodded and seemed very pleased and excited. He'd become full of energy and was looking forward to trying a new method of teaching.

Anna chuckled to herself as she left him to his study group. She felt a little bad for that one, but she wasn't going to let him fail either. Since she'd buried him up to his neck, she knew she'd have to be on hand to help out if he needed it. It would do him some good to accomplish something like that, even if he was far from aware just how difficult a task it would be just yet.

The boy turned towards his students and smiled. "All right, let's begin then."

Asuna glared at him. "Wait. What were you two talking about? I know that witch is up to something."

Negi smiled at her. "Huh? It's nothing. She was just checking up on me."

"Checking up?" muttered Mackie with a mischievous grin on her face.

Ku Fei was grinning. "So we can start then, aru?"

Kaede was just as cheerful. "Yes, let's begin, de gozaru!"

Negi was pleased with the enthusiasm. "Right. Just a quick test, and we'll be done, right?"

OooOOooOO

TBC...

Next time: English Literature and Dodge Ball.

AN: I won't be going through every single chapter of the Manga, but I'll definitely be covering the major story arcs. This won't end up anywhere near as big as the main story, though I do expect to be very large for a side story.


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